In September, County Manager Blaine Williams made the decision to dismiss Police Chief Scott Freeman from ACCPD, to the surprise of the community and Athens-Clarke County commissioners. An open records request reveals there was substantial pushback from officers in the police department who were disgruntled not only by the firing of Officer Saulters earlier this year, but also by Freeman’s insistence on implementing community policing. This distrust within the police department, a “blue code” culture where officers back the problematic and potentially violent decisions of other officers, and officers’ intentional disobedience of community policing practices is the context in which Chief Freeman was dismissed.

So, it is clear these problems run deep. This is a call for good governance from our Mayor, Commissioners, and staff (transparency! community input!), and for a demilitarized, community-engaged police department. Please consider signing the below petition to show your support for our local government increasing transparency regarding the future of ACCPD, prioritizing community input, and taking active steps to investigate and reform the internal culture of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department so that it serves the Athens community in a truly restorative way.

Click here to read more and sign the petition.