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Resident urges Decatur City Council to form citizen police advisory council, criticizes spending priorities
Summary
During public comment, a resident (Mr. Farooqi) urged the council to establish a citizen police advisory council recommended in a prior 'green report,' criticized the city for spending on board appointments while leaving police oversight unaddressed, and questioned a roughly $700,000 funding increase for a college sports complex.
A Decatur resident used the council’s public-comment period to press elected officials to create a citizen police advisory council and to criticize perceived spending priorities including funding for a college sports complex.
The commenter, identified in the meeting as Mr. Farooqi, said the city had not implemented a citizen advisory board for the police department despite recommendations in a prior review. "When are we going to have a citizen's advisory council for the police department? It was identified almost 2 years ago," he said. He added that the police chief had told him "he's not ready yet," and that the city had spent "$300,000" on the review without acting on its findings.
Farooqi also questioned a separate item on the council’s agenda: an increased funding commitment for Calhoun Community College’s sports complex. He repeatedly asked, "How much is that?" and the record contains an exchange where staff and the clerk referenced roughly "$700,000" tied to moving a sewer/utility line for the project. Farooqi asked how the city would see a return on that investment and contrasted city spending with private development projects.
The city clerk ended the speaker’s allotted time after several minutes of comments. Council members did not adopt an immediate directive to create a police advisory council during the meeting; the issue was raised as a public request and not as a council action.
What was said
"When are we going to have a citizen's advisory council for the police department?" Farooqi asked, pointing to a recommendation he said came from a previous review. He said he had a list of names tied to "citizen's deaths within the city of Decatur" and argued that the advisory council would help "facilitate transparency, integrity-driven policy policing and procedural justice." He also told the council: "We spent $300,000, folks, to find this out, and we're choosing not to do anything about it."
Why it matters
A citizen police advisory council, if established, would create a formal channel for residents to provide oversight and advice on police policy and community relations. Farooqi cited comparative practice in nearby Madison and characterized the absence of a local board as a failure to implement a recommended accountability measure. Council members did not take formal action on the request during this meeting.
What’s next
Farooqi’s remarks were recorded during the public-comment portion of the meeting; the clerk closed the comment period at the allotted time. The transcript does not show the council directing staff to prepare an implementation plan or timeline for a citizen police advisory council. Any next steps would need to be initiated by a council member’s motion, a mayoral directive, or a staff report at a future meeting.
