Community Liaison and Advisory Council
The Northumberland County Sheriff’s Office, the Northumerland NAACP, and Interracial Conversations of Lancaster and Northumberland Counties have joined together to form a Community Liaison and Advisory Council which will address citizen concerns about police activities and build bridges of respect, trust and transparency between citizens and the Sheriff’s Office.
In response to citizens’ concerns after the death of George Floyd and other minority victims of police action, the Rev. Dr. Tyron Williams, Pastor of Mt. Olive Baptist Church and President of the Northumberland NAACP, called for a citizens’ panel to work with the Sheriff’s Office to evaluate police procedures, conduct, and interface with the community. His suggestion was enthusiastically received by Sheriff Johnny Beauchamp, who has hosted several meetings to consider what that panel might look like and what its authority and mode of operation might be.
The parties wanted a collaborative process to examine citizens’ concerns and to encourage a more proactive community policing program. Rev. Williams states, “What we are trying to do is a ‘game changer’ in community and police relations. The Community Liaison and Advisory Council would not only bring citizens’ concerns and complaints to the Sheriff’s Office and advocate for those who have legitimate grievances, it would also work with the Sheriff’s Office to prevent abuses of authority and to build a more equitable and transparent standard of community policing. No one wants to be in the position of challenging police conduct after an awful event. We want to work with the Sheriff’s Office to prevent a tragedy and build a safer community.”
Recognizing that the members of the citizens’ panel and law enforcement personnel would benefit from enhancing their communication and collaboration skills, Interracial Conversations applied for and received a grant from the DuPont Foundation to fund a year of training in collaborative mediation; conflict resolution; police procedures, policies and practices; and community leadership. The Sheriff’s Office committed overtime as its part of the community share of the grant so that it might fully participate in all aspects of the program. Over the course of the next year, representatives from the community and the Sheriff’s Office will have a year-long collaborative trial period to put ideas into practice and to modify the working concept as joint experiences suggest a more successful model for the Community Liaison and Advisory Council.
The ultimate goal of the project is a Community Liaison and Advisory Council composed of a diverse representation of citizens who would provide 1) a foundation for mutual respect and trust between the Sheriff’s Office and citizens; 2) a space for open dialogue, constructive engagement, and transparency; 3) greater opportunity for fair and unbiased enforcement of the laws; 4) an opportunity for citizens to engage in the power structure and law enforcement authority of the community; and 5) a greater sense of safety, belonging, and contributing to the community in our citizens.
Members of the initial trial council are Rev. Dr. Tyron Williams; Laurie Morissette; Tony Starks, Jr.; Ralph Millar, Bennie Green; Alva Jackson; Jim Michele; Eric Lee; and Keva Parker. Sheriff Johnny Beauchamp, Major Allen Garland, and a rotation of other officers will also participate. Dr. Pamela Struss, Adjunct Professor at the Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at GMU, will serve as Chief Advisor and Trainer.