City Council approves CPD Community Advisory Board
May 20, 2015
COLUMBIA, SC – Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin and City Council took another important step in what has become a series of bold public safety reforms designed to promote transparency and accountability when Council voted unanimously at their Work Session earlier today to establish the Community Police Advisory Board.
Made up of residents from across the city and representing Columbia’s diverse demographic make-up, this 10-member board will be appointed by City Council in order to ensure community engagement and input in a broad spectrum of law enforcement operations and policies.
“From increasing public safety funding to leveraging new technologies, we’ve invested a lot over the past several years to ensure our citizens have a world-class police force,” said Mayor Benjamin. “But all the new tools, training and technology in the world is no substitute for community trust and that’s why this is so important.
“This has been a true citywide effort and I couldn’t be more proud.”
The latest in a series of law enforcement reforms, today’s action comes after the landmark release of the Columbia Police Department’s 2014 Internal Affairs Report last week and the launch of Mayor Benjamin’s Justice for All initiative earlier this year.
