Columbus, Georgia

Minutes for the Meeting of the

Public Safety Advisory Commission

October 6, 2005



Present members of Advisory Commission: Robert Loving, C.A. Hardmon, James

Wilson, Harold Bryant, Cheryl Gallatin, Archie Rainey (Chairman) Greg Camp



Absent members: Robert Turner, Charles Kurtz, Allen McMullen, Keyla Cabret



Visitors: Chief R.T. Boren, Majors S. Swiney, J. Graham, W. Barker-Wright, and

R. Traino, Lt. J. Long (CPD), Mr. Brown



Recording Secretary: Mrs. Ann Bell, Administrative Specialist III



Location: Community Room of the Public Safety Building



Meeting began at 4:01 p.m.





CHAIRMAN ARCHIE RAINEY CALLS THE MEETING TO ORDER:



Archie Rainey calls the meeting to order. Roll is taken.



REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING?S MINUTES:



The commission members took a few moments to review the minutes of the previous

meeting. There was a motion and a second to approve minutes and they were then

approved.



NEW BUSINESS



Major S. Swiney addressed the commission to discuss communications equipment

and technology used by the Columbus Police Department. He distributed his

handout and went over it point by point. He opened the floor for questions.

Chairman Rainey asked him to discuss the video/audio equipment systems in the

CPD vehicles. Major Swiney explains the current system is state of the art and

there was nothing better out there. He went on to explain there are three (3)

ways to activate the system: one, blue lights, two, manual, and three,

microphone switch on the officer?s belt. Mr. Loving asked if they are still

purchasing faulty equipment and Major Swiney said no faulty equipment has ever

been purchased. Mr. Loving explains he was told it was and Major Swiney then

went on to explain the process of checking and repairing equipment.



Major J. Graham addressed the commission regarding the Mathis accident in which

a CPD patrol officer did not give the elderly women involved who apparently

caused the accident a citation, he simply gave her a warning ticket. Mr.

Mathis has gone to council regarding his dissatisfaction with that decision.

Major Graham discussed the circumstances of the accident in detail and how it

seemed there is nothing that will appease Mr. Mathis regarding the outcome of

the accident. He went on to explain officer discretion. A discussion then

ensued regarding various situations in which discretion is used which may or

may not seem fair. He went on to explain that when an error is made by

officers cases are dismissed and error corrected.



Mr. Camp asks about the camera that was supposed to go up at the intersection

of Armour Road and Manchester Expressway. There was more discussion regarding

the purpose of the light, whether it was to stop red light running or statistic

use.



Mr. Hardmon returns the discussion to the Mathis accident complaint and agrees

with Mr. Mathis and his feelings and he is not satisfied either. There is then

more discussion regarding officer discretion in other specific recent accidents.



Mr. Brown of the Edgewood-Forest Neighborhood Watch addressed the commission.

He describes a domestic violence incident he witnessed and was able to have a

patrol car stop the individuals involved. He went on to ask the commission to

help the Neighborhood Watch groups communicate with the right people via radios

and/or cell phones. Chairman Rainey suggested he speak with Major Wright

regarding that.



OLD BUSINESS



Chairman Rainey suggests since time has run out that Mr. Hardmon?s issues he

wanted to address wait until the next meeting.



COMMISSION MEMBERS? ENDING COMMENTS



Chairman Rainey asked Mr. Bryant if the UGA Pay Survey had come out yet.



Mr. Bryant mentions he attended the CPD Taser Training earlier that morning and

he was very pleased with what he saw.



Meeting adjourned 5:07 PM.





Ann Bell

Administrative Specialist, III

Recording Secretary