Committee approves plan to replace Citizens Police Advisory Council with chief citizens liaison group and sends recommendation to council

The Charleston City Committee on Public Safety voted on March 18 to approve the police department's recommendation to replace the Citizens Police Advisory Council (CPAC) with a Chief Citizens Liaison Group and to forward the proposed changes to city council for approval.

The police chief and staff described the new group as smaller and more engagement-focused than the existing CPAC. Under the plan presented, membership would range from a minimum of five to a maximum of 13 members, appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent of council. The group would have a chair and vice chair serving one-year terms and members serving three-year terms, with a maximum of two consecutive terms. Members would be required to complete the citizen police academy, have an interest in community-police relations and reside in or own a business in the city; students who attend school in the city would be eligible as well.

The department proposed that members complete a ride-along with a police officer within six months of appointment and that the group hold quarterly, open meetings; the group would keep its own minutes and submit an annual report to the public safety committee and council. The chief said the intention is for the liaison group to take projects working in both directions: to bring community feedback back to the department and to take departmental initiatives out to neighborhoods for education and input.

Why it matters: The reorganization shifts emphasis from the advisory council's prior operations to more direct community engagement tied to the department's current public-safety strategy, with a stated aim of increased outreach to businesses, clergy, youth and neighborhood associations. The chief said two new internal positions—one focused on a youth advisory council and one on Hispanic community outreach—make this kind of engagement more necessary.

Discussion and procedure: Committee members asked about staff time and meeting formalities. Committee members were told the prior CPAC was not established by ordinance but was approved previously by council; the new group would “fall under the fire requirements,” and staff said meetings would require notice and be open to the public. One council member emphasized the need to clarify when staff support is required and to formalize subcommittee procedures to avoid open-records ambiguity. A motion to approve the proposed amendments and send them to council passed on a voice vote.

Ending: The committee approved forwarding the recommended changes to city council for final action and thanked outgoing and current CPAC members for their service. The record shows the committee treated the change as an administrative reorganization and expects the mayoral appointment process and any ordinance or council action to be the next steps.