Black Lens News - January 2016

Page 6
January 2016
www.blacklensnews.com
The Black Lens Spokane
SPOKANE LOOKING FOR A NEW POLICE CHIEF AGAIN
City Holds Three Forums to Get Input From Community on Search
The Police Leadership Advisory
Committee, a new citizen
committee that was created
by Mayor David Condon
to lead a conversation about
what the community is looking
for in its next police chief,
held three community forums
in the month of December to
gather input from Spokane
residents and incorporate the
community’s comments and
suggestions into the selection
process.
The committee, which includes
Mary Ann Murphy,
former Director of Our Kids:
Our Business; Toni Lodge,
CEO of the NATIVE Project;
Naima Quarles-Burnley, President
Spokane NAACP; Jim
McDevitt, former US Attorney;
Ken Hohenberg, Chief of
the Kennewick Police Department;
Jon Synder, Spokane
City Council; and Gabrial
Caballero, Federal Public Defender
Investigator, is tasked
with soliciting community input
inn three areas: reviewing
and making recommendations
to strengthen the current chief
of police job description,
identifying the attributes that
the community is seeking in
the next police chief and recommending
the hiring and selection
process that should be
used.
The committee will also provide
guidance to the city on
the development of a cultural
audit for the police department.
They will give input
about what should be included
in the audit, how the audit
should be conducted, and the
expected outcomes. The cultural
audit was a suggestion
from the Use of Force Commission
and the U.S. Department
of Justice Community
Oriented Policing Services.
The community forums were
held at the Northeast Community
Center, West Central
Community Center and East
Central Community Center
during the month of December.
Member of the community
who were not able to attend
the forums are invited to
provide input via email and
phone at the following e-mail
address and phone number:
policechiefsearch@spokanecity.org
or 509-625-6281.