Athens, GA – On July 19th, 2021, The Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement (AADM) will host a Town Hall regarding the “Community Demands for a Police Oversight Office” at 6:00 pm at the AADM Justice Center located inside Georgia Square Mall (Level 1 near Belk). Guest Speakers include Commissioner Tim Denson, Mokah-Jasmine Johnson and Shane Sims (co-chairs of the previous police task force), and Lee Reid director of “Atlanta Civilian Review Board.”
Last year, Mayor Kelly Girtz established a Police Advisory Task Force to recommend how to improve the relationship between the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and our community. After a year of extensive research, discussion, and collaboration with the National Association of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE), the Task Force set forth specific recommendations to create infrastructure to help heal our community.
The Task Force recommended the creation of an Oversight Office that would include an Auditor and Review Board model as the best solution for Athens Clarke County. The Auditor/Monitor would manage daily operations, and the Civilian Review Board, composed of community members who reflect the identities of Athenians and those marginalized communities most affected by policing, would give community members a voice and a seat at the table.
This is an opportunity for residents of Athens-Clarke County, our local government, and our police department to begin working towards improving transparency, reducing police misconduct and abuse, and creating a dialogue between officers and community members. Our community needs peace and resolution; the Auditor and Civilian Oversight Board would be a step in the right direction.
Despite the fact that the Police Advisory Task Force presented the recommendations in February 2021, the GOC “Government Operations Committee” missed the deadline to submit the final recommendations to the Mayor and Commission before the June 30th, Fiscal Year ‘22 budget meeting. The GOC’s inability to meet the deadline puts our community at risk, and can cause further division and distrust between community members and police officers.
AADM President Mokah Johnson believes that the GOC, chaired by Commissioner Mike Hamby, is biased against the Task Force recommendations and discriminatory when they exclude input from the NACOLE experts and from the Task Force members who could have helped to address their concerns prior to missing the deadline. “We can not build trust with the government nor ACCPD if they continue to exclude the public from the process and interfere with our work” Johnson said.
It’s time for the GOC to submit the recommendations to the Mayor and Commission. We also demand an amendment be made to the budget for a minimum of $250,000 to help support the establishment of this agency. “There are so many benefits to having a Civilian Police Oversight agency; not only can it help to increase police accountability and the need to eliminate misconduct, but it can also improve community relations by fostering communication between the community and police agency” Johnson says.
We urge community members to stand with us, to learn more, and join the conversation on July 19th, 6:00 pm, at the AADM Justice Center. For more information contact jasminejohnsonedu@gmail.com or visit www.aadmovement.org.
Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement
Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement (AADM) is a grassroots, 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2016 and based in Athens, Georgia. The group aims to combat discrimination through education and activism. For more information visit www.aadmovement.org, their Facebook @AADMovement, or their Twitter and Instagram @aadmovement706