Police Committee

Police Committee Minutes October 7, 2024 The meeting was called to order at 9:05, the minutes were approved, roll call was taken. Staffing / Hiring / Recruiting – 69 out of 73 – 4 Non-Certified applicants getting background checks / Two interns are with us from Georgetown College. Recruiting will take place at the GC Job Fair. 911 Phone Line Trouble – The trouble is not with our 911 Center – There are 5 trunk lines and 3 landlines that complicate recovery from the trouble at ATT and Verizon at various times. There was the ATT strike and some administrative issues that added to the problems. We are looking at another carrier, such as Windstream, but changing over is complicated and cost is an issue. Currently all is working well. If trouble connecting happens again, all are urged to call the Non- Emergency number or use a landline. All calls were responded to appropriately. It was suggested that we communicate this number and this procedure more visibly and more often so our citizens stay informed. Drone as a First Responder Program – The pilot program would cost $13,000 for the first year. Purchase discussion and possible action is forthcoming at the October 28th City Council Meeting. The subscription would be for a five-year period. Lots of enthusiasm expressed by the GPD for this possibility for the Georgetown Police Department. This drone can fly for 42 minutes. It has a camera and a speaker capability. It works in coordination with the body cameras. If a drone malfunctions, another drone is sent overnight for the next day. The camera is down only when on scene of the incident that is being investigated. This First Responder Drone Program purchase would help us become a premier police agency. This drone could be helpful in multiple situations, including: • De-escalation of situations as the drone can offer an accurate bird’s eye view of situations helping the responding officers to know best how to respond. • Traffic Pursuit • Collision Scenes • Increased Safety of Police Officers and citizens during investigations. The drone can fly into, above, and around homes. 5K Route Update – No current update. They are looking for the right person to accurately measure out the new routes. Citizens Police Academy: The meetings have been held at the Ed Davis Center to try to offer community access and involvement. 20 citizens have been participating. Citizen Police Academy Intends to Sponsor a Shooting Contest on October 19th from 8:30-2:00 pm at 235 W. Yusen Way. They intend make this an annual event. The GPD offers the use of their shooting range and oversees safety protocols during the event. Waivers are signed to counter city liability. People age 21 and above can participate who are legal gun owners with a valid ID – and participants provide their own firearms. There was kind mention and remembrance of Officer James Thompson who recently passed away. He was the first African-American police officer at the Georgetown Police Department and quite well respected and admired by fellow officers and our community. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at ~10:25. Submitted by: Willow Hambrick