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Maplewood council reviews Police Advisory Board applicants, sets process for five appointments
Summary
The Maplewood City Council heard pitches from three applicants and discussed selection criteria for a newly created five-member Police Advisory Board. Council members emphasized ward representation, community involvement and communication skills and agreed to submit top-five candidate lists to staff ahead of formal appointments Nov. 11.
Maplewood city council members on Tuesday heard short presentations from three of 10 applicants for five seats on a newly created Police Advisory Board and agreed on a process to select appointees ahead of formal appointments scheduled for Nov. 11.
The council heard from Heidi Helmuth, who said she moved to Maplewood in 2015 and sought a seat to reduce polarization and build "on the things we agree on" in police-community relations. Applicant Sheila described having "shared with [the chief] my own negative experiences with law enforcement including, physical assault," and said she wants to use that lived experience to improve policy and optics. Kevin Chase said he would "reach out to the department, ask, if they would be so kind as to facilitate a tour for the 5 of us" and draw on professional contacts, including people in the Missouri public defender system and retired law enforcement, to gather background information.
Council members commented that the full set of applications and the candidates' remarks showed a strong slate. They discussed criteria they would use when choosing five appointees, including length of residence in Maplewood, involvement in community organizations or boards, occupation or relevant experience, stated goals for the advisory board, communication skills and the applicant's attitude toward the police department. Several members urged that the final slate reflect representation across wards and from both residential and business community perspectives.
After debating procedures — some members supported ranked-choice ranking while others preferred a simple top-five tally — the council agreed on an administrative approach. Amber (city staff) said appointments are scheduled for the Nov. 11 council meeting and asked council members to submit a blind list of their top five candidates to staff; staff will tabulate results and report back a week before the appointment meeting. If the tabulation leaves ties or ambiguity, council members said they could discuss those cases in a meeting.
No formal appointments or votes on candidates occurred at the work session. Council members said they welcome additional candidates who could not attend and encouraged applicants to make a direct case to the council when possible.
The council also discussed the broader role the advisory board is expected to play in fostering dialogue between the community and Maplewood Police Department; no formal charter or board bylaws were adopted during the session.
