The city’s Community-Police Oversight Work Group is set to start meeting Monday, following months of delays.
The work group is intended to review the Lawrence Police Department’s current complaint process and make recommendations for the Community Police Review Board’s oversight of the complaint process. (Read more on the background at this link.) The group’s work was originally supposed to conclude in November, but the process has been delayed.
The first meeting is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, May 22 in the Jayhawk Room at Fire Station No. 5, 1911 Stewart Ave. The meeting will also be available via Zoom, but registration is required; register for the Zoom meeting at this link.
Group members will outline their work and begin planning for a community conversation set for this summer, according to a Thursday news release from the city.
The group will meet eight times before the end of August, with six work sessions and two community conversations, according to the release.
All meetings will be open to the public; however, there will be no public comment during the work sessions, and only the community conversations will involve the public.
“The Community Conversations will be hosted by the Work Group and focused solely on public input and ideas to inform the efforts and recommendations of the Work Group,” according to the release. “The six working meetings, including the upcoming meeting on May 22, will not include public comment but will provide opportunities for the public to provide written feedback relevant to the Work Group’s tasks at that time. Work Group draft documents and related resources will be available soon on the City website so the public can track Work Group progress and see next steps in the process.”
The city on Sept. 27 entered into a $20,000 contract with Jonathan Morris of J Morris Consulting to facilitate the work group.
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday approved two new members of the CPOWG appointed by Mayor Lisa Larsen: Tanya Ingram, a community member, and Skylar Richardson with the police union, Lawrence Police Officers Association.
Other work group members include community members Alex Kimball Williams, Doris Ricks, Harrison Baker and Jacqlene Nance-Mengler; Community Police Review Board members Amilee Turner, Brenda Clary and Gregory Tempel; Lawrence Police Chief Rich Lockhart; Deputy Chief Anthony Brixius; and Ian McCann of LPOA.
Three meeting dates are set so far: Mondays May 22, June 5 and July 10.
“Additional meeting dates and details regarding the Community Conversations will be available in the coming weeks,” according to the release.
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Related coverage: Lawrence Community Police Review Board
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