DECATUR, Ala. — Not happy. That's how some members of the Decatur community are feeling after Police Chief Todd Pinion released a statement on Friday introducing his plan of action as the city tries to move forward after several recent controversies.
Morgan County NAACP President Rodney Gordon explained that, "First of all, the community wasn't part of the plan." Gordon continued that without the community's input, "You really don't know what we want." He adds that from a community standpoint, "There is no trust, period."
Decatur Police Chief Todd Pinion's statement states that his goal is to, "assist in bridging the gap between the community and the department."
The first three points of his plan having a comprehensive communication and information system for the city, structured sessions with citizens that include strategies to facilitate restoration to the city, and a thorough review of current police policies and procedures.
Standing in Power Strategic Advisor Danny Saafiyah said about accountability in the police department, "Everybody has to, you know, be held accountable to what it is that they should be doing in their job description. And I feel like the letter didn't have any of that. It didn't state anything, and I still don't think Pinion actually has a plan. It showed no accountability."
Chief Pinion's last few points of the plan include leadership development and cultural educational system for Decatur Police Department, implementing an officer wellness system, and includes communicating and educating citizens on the goal to effectively implement the plan. "You know, that's, you're not going to put together a plan to take you down. That won't make sense," said Gordon. Community activist Tommy Cook has a similar perspective. "He said in his letter that it was fluid, meaning that, you know, he really don't have a plan of action in the letter. So it's like he gave us all of these points. But he don't have a tactic to get to where he needs to go or whatnot."