New Haven Mayor Toni Harp has announced a new task force designed to improve the relationship between city residents and the police department.
"New Haven has got to be a place that sees everybody and hears everybody," Harp said during a news conference on Wednesday.
The New Haven Community and Police Relations Task Force announced on Wednesday comprises 17 members and seven ex-officio members, including peace advocates, members of the New Haven and Yale University police department, clergy members and community representatives, according to the mayor's office.
Harp has chosen Dr. Leroy Williams and Eli Greer as the co-chairs of the taskforce.
"I am thrilled that we are now developing this task force to kick it up a notch, as Emeril would say," Mayor Harp said.
The task force will take a more broad-based view of community relations with police, evaluate the current relationship between city residents and the police force and look at ways to improve that relationship, according to the mayor's office.
Among the task force's responsibilities will be to assess and evaluate community policing, to look at policies and procedures and police department protocol, including police use of force.
Local
They will also address the photographing and videotaping of policing, including guidelines for police as well as residents.
The group will also make recommendations to improve community policing.
The recommendations will go to the mayor, as well as the board of police commissioners.
