MADISON, Ala. — The City of Madison is forming a Police Citizens Advisory Committee after the City Council unanimously voted in favor of its creation. Applications for a position on the nine-member board are open now.
The city says the goal of the committee is to, "promote dialogue between the City’s Police Department and the community and to serve in an advisory capacity regarding community concerns, quality of life issues, and police officer training, among other topics."
The nine member committee will be appointed by Council Members, Mayor and Chief of Police. Applicants must be a Madison resident 18 years of age or older, be willing to commit to serving an initial term of two or four years, and willing to dedicate time to attending training sessions, committee meetings, fielding questions from fellow residents, etc. The city says the committee will hold public meetings and recommend programs or policies to improve MPD, as well as provide advice for additional training in areas such as diversity, community policing, procedural justice, and crisis intervention training.
"The Madison Police Department is committed to professionally and effectively serving our community in partnership with all stakeholders. We are excited about working with our community to establish the Madison Police Citizen Advisory Committee to strengthen our relationship with our community," says Acting Chief John Stringer.
"This Advisory Committee serves as another step forward in transparency and open dialogue with our citizens. We look forward to the cooperation with the future members of the Committee as they communicate with City’s Police Chief, Mayor, City Council, and the community at large," says Mayor Paul Finley.
"Council is hopeful for this valuable resource to connect with our citizens and listen to how our local government and law enforcement can continue to serve our community more effectively," says Council President Greg Shaw.
Huntsville Police created their Citizens Advisory Council in 2010. In 2020, the Council was in the spotlight in the aftermath of law enforcement responses to last summer's social justice protests. The HPCAC held listening sessions and invited public comment on police behavior during those events. In Huntsville, the 10-member group is appointed by various city leaders. Two seats appointed by the Mayor (one from the Human Relations Commission), three seats appointed by the Chief of Police (one of Hispanic origin), and five seats appointed by the City Council (each Council member appoints one seat).