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HomeMy WebLinkAbout011399 rm min CITIZEN'S ADVISORY BOARD Minutes Wednesday, January 13, 1999 7:00 P.M. City Commission Conference Room PRESENT: Thomas Bronson - APolice Chief, Dean Ray, George Anderson, Jr., Tom Carpenter, Atty. Manuel Acevedo, Phyllis Richardson, Oscar Redden, David Johnson and Gracy Posley The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Mr. Ray. Mr. Ray requested approval of CAB minutes for November 11 and December 9, 1998 if there were no changes or corrections. Motioned by Mr. Anderson, seconded by Mr. Johnson, motion adopted for the minutes to be approved. APolice Chief Bronson began apprizing CAB members of projects and changes involving the police department. Property for the 1211 W. 13t St. Community Service Center should be closed upon by February 9. The 24' x 60' modular building will consist of four offices, a reception counter, restroom, etc. The building is expected to be in place in approximately 90 days. The Center will be staffed by a Lieutenant, a community service officer and volunteers are being considered. Sanford Police staff along with four deputies being assigned to the Goldsboro area will give the community much officers presence. The property of the 13t St. Community Service Center is the original cite of the Post Office when Goldsboro was a city. A plaque will be acquired to denote the history of the property. WalMart is being looked at as the next community service center cite. APolice Chief Bronson's new procedure will be to keep CAB abreast of police department activities. APolice Chief Bronson distributed and advised CAB on the background of the police department's newsletter. Several departmental committees have been formed subsequent to the PAS study. The most recent committee formed is the police department's Awards Committee, which will honor past and present employees entitled to an award. The police department also has a Policy Committee which assists in revising and writing new departmental policy and General Orders. A Sergeant will be placed and utilized for the department's move toward State accreditation. This Sergeant will be the custodian of departmental policies /General Orders as well as Internal Affair Records and conducting complaints on police officers. Police call prioritizing suggested by the PAS study to be implemented 01/14/99 (call handling guide distributed to CAB members.) The average response time for current police calls (calls handled as received) has been 6 -8 minutes. Call prioritizing will be Code 1, Code 2, Code 3, Code 4 for most important to less important call. . CAB Minutes January 13, 1999 Page 2 of 2 Supervisors, officers and dispatchers will explain and emphasize the new call prioritizing to citizens. Call prioritizing will allow the officers to spend more time with a victim or citizen on a call. With call prioritizing, each officer will be assigned to a permanent district /zone. The police department has three CSO's. The function of a Community Service Officer is to assist a police officer when non -sworn assistance is needed. A CSO will be assigned to the police department for handling customary calls or complaints not requiring a police officer. One CSO will be assigned to the 13' St. Community Service Center, one other CSO will be assigned to road patrol throughout the City for service. The three CSO's will rotate tours. CSO's uniforms, vehicles and assignments differ from police officers. The police department has been awarded a third Local Law Enforcement Block Grant (1998/99). The $187,319. will be utilized to purchase police department equipment to include 30 additional laptop computers, 6 desktop computers for CSO centers, printers, 6 radar units, 30 semi - automatic rifles, 50 micro earphones for 800 MHz radios, 2 police equipped patrol vehicles, etc. APolice Chief Bronson advised the life span of a patrol vehicle is approximately two years, approximately 65,000 miles per year. Car dealers will not donate patrol vehicles due to mileage and usage. Vehicles generally donated by car dealers are returnable with resale value, such as the D.A.R.E. vehicle that is used for community relations and advertisement. APolice Chief Bronson advised he is working toward mobile data units being installed in police vehicles. Mr. Anderson mentioned an encouraging two -years old newspaper article pertaining to QUAD's (Quick Uniform Attack on Drugs) statistics. APolice Chief Bronson will provide updated QUAD data. Mr. Redden commented on CAB members interacting with citizens in their area. With members bringing suggestions to the Board reflecting the citizens concepts. Mr. Redden feels community policing will improve the citizens relationship and outlook of police officers and police department. Mr. Redden brought to APolice Chief Bronson's attention a shooting incident involving an arrest in the 2500 block of Ridgewood Ave. that had not been followed up. APolice Chief Bronson advised the report should have been forwarded to Investigations and ordinarily officers do follow up on their reports. APolice Chief Bronson will inform Mr. Redden of the status of this report. Mr. Redden inquired, APolice Chief Bronson advised on the police officer complaint procedure. A complaint form will be brought to the next CAB meeting. Mrs. Richardson asked if the police department had a community liaison? Her question was due to a shortage of police communications involving a bear in the Goldsboro area in late December 1998. APolice Chief Bronson advised the police department is in the process of training a new Public Information Officer for community issues and media contact. CAB Minutes January 13, 1999 Page 2 of 3 Mr. Carpenter mentioned he looks at neighborhood watch as a neighbor watch and not a neighborhood crime watch. Neighbors help each other by working together. APolice Chief Bronson commented the support of the community is a factor. The police department is working toward community oriented policing; law enforcement is about working with the community. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:45 PM.