Now that Raleigh police have listened, city needs timeline to implement changes
January 8, 2016When Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown announced her recent series of community forums, she said she wanted to build relationships and enlighten and empower the community. I support the chief’s efforts to ask for insight. When you ask, communities tend to know what is wrong and how to address it.
At two forums, I welcomed the opportunity to exchange ideas and concerns with dozens of officers and neighborhood leaders. It was enlightening. But empowering? Not yet.
At the end of Tuesday night’s meeting, Deck-Brown promised to prepare a public report on the forums. I hope that’s where she’ll meet her empowerment objective. Deck-Brown’s report must be an honest reflection of the concerns and suggestions made by city residents, but, for it to be empowering, it also must commit to a timeline to address those concerns and implement the best ideas.