Minutes for the Meeting of the
Public Safety Advisory Commission
March 2, 2006
Present members of Advisory Commission: Charles Kurtz, Robert Loving, C. A.
Hardmon, James Wilson, Alison Dowe, Archie Rainey, Cheryl Gallatin, Harold
Bryant (Chairman)
Absent members: Robert Turner, Greg Camp, Keyla Cabret
Visitors: None
Recording Secretary: Ms. Deborah Gasaway, Administrative Specialist III
Location: Community Room of the Public Safety Building
Meeting began at 4:09 p.m.
CHAIRMAN HAROLD BRYANT CALLS THE MEETING TO ORDER:
Harold Bryant 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.
OLD BUSINESS
Mr. Robert Loving discusses a meeting he attended with Mr. James Mathis, who
had met with Mayor Poydasheff and Chief Boren. The meeting concerned an
accident he had in Columbus, Georgia. Mr. Mathis discussed the problems he has
been having with the other person?s insurance company. Mr. Loving explained
that the other insurance company would not pay because of the way the accident
report was written. Mayor Poydasheff explained he would write a letter to the
other driver?s insurance company explaining the situation. Mr. Loving
explained that seemed to satisfy Mr. Mathis concerning the problem with his
insurance company.
There was a lengthy discussion between the committee members concerning Mr.
Mathis accident.
Mr. Loving discussed the issue of police discretion when writing a ticket. He
states there should be some type of rules that an officer should follow.
NEW BUSINESS
Chairman Bryant welcomes Ms. Alison Dowe to the Public Safety Advisory
Commission Meeting. Ms. Dowe is a new member of the commission. She
represents District 6, Gary Allen.
Chairman Bryant introduces himself to Ms. Alison Dowe. Mr. Bryant asked that
each member of the commission introduce himself or herself to Ms. Dowe, and
state what District they represent.
Chairman Bryant addresses the commission about a discussion he had with Mayor
Poydasheff. Chairman Bryant stated that Mayor Poydasheff had some concerns on
the commissions? issues and charges. Chairman Bryant asked each member of the
commission to explain to him what issues were important to them, and what they
could do to be a better committee. Mr. Bryant explained he would take these
findings and address them to Mayor Poydasheff.
Mr. James Wilson addresses the group on how they need some clarification on
what issues they should be looking at. He explains they have a charge and we
had those list of things that should be done. He talks about whenever
something happens in the community it initiates how they look at some of the
issues. He knows the commission has no authority into investigating or
discussing specific cases, but it always seems to end up with the committee
talking about them, it always comes back to those issues.
Mr. C. A. Hardmon addresses the committee by stating he has already written to
the Mayor and the City Attorney concerning some of the issues that have come up
within the city. He talked about his concerns, in particular, about the
communities, the minority communities. He talked about how he wants the best
for the community, and that?s why he?s here.
Mr. Charles Kurtz expresses his view that the reason the Public Safety Advisory
Commission was created was because they would not create a Police Review
Board. He realized that the commission has no authority to actually do
anything, but is in place to be there. He further explains where they can be
of some help to the people; by talking to the people they meet in everyday
business or social events. They need to be some sort of voice for what the
city is doing, what the city is up against, to explain some of the concerns to
the people concerning traffic, police coverage, budgets. Mr. Kurtz brings up
the fact that the only thing the commission can legally do is speak to the
people about Public Safety.
Mr. Robert Loving goes back to the Kenneth Walker case. He explains that the
committee was formed after the Kenneth Walker case. Mr. Loving gave his
opinion that they should have been allowed to look at the Walker case. He
stresses, not investigating it, but see some of the things that were done, that
could have been done a different way. He feels that the committee should have
looked at the case and made suggestions of some type. He explained the
commission would not be telling anybody how to do their job, but just be asked
for the commission?s opinion of what could have been done different in the case.
Mr. Loving brings up another issue that happened with the Sheriff from Talbot
County running a red light and hitting another vehicle. The Sheriff did not
get a ticket for the accident. Mr. Loving explained that if the committee
had been more involved with the incident, this new incident with Mr. Mathis
would not be happening at this time. He further explained if the commission
had made suggestions maybe this incident with Mr. Mathis wouldn?t be
happening. Mr. Loving also talks about how he goes out and talks to the
people. He goes within the community and talks to the people. He helps them
if they have any problems or don?t know where to go to get help. He explained
it?s all about communication.
Mr. Archie Rainey states that the commission must follow the charge legally.
He talked about being served once with a letter from a law firm on the Freedom
of Information Act. He explains to the commission, if you talk about these
things and they are written down in minutes be prepared to be served by a law
firm. He explains that the commission does not have subpoena power. They must
follow the law. He stresses the commission is not an investigative group. The
commission needs to support the community and support the police community.
They need to look at it from that perceptive. Mr. Rainey explains that they
missed the opportunity to take and build a type of speaker for the community.
The commission needs to look at the bigger picture in the community and create
an avenue of communications. The commission should create an avenue of
communications that hinges around the community.
Ms. Gallatin agrees with Mr. Rainey. There is no communication. The
commission is not there to investigate, that is not their job. She states that
what they learn from the Public Safety Boards they then need to go out to the
public and spread the news. They were given tons of information, any question
that comes up from the public the commission members should be able to go and
look it up, or find out the correct information. The Public Safety Advisory
Commission needs to work on advising without investigating. She explained the
committee is in a position where they can find out the rules and what the
procedures are because we were educated on the procedures. The commission is a
team for the community and our Public Safety Force.
Mr. Kurtz goes back to Mr. Mathis; how it all started, Mr. Mathis? troubles
with his insurance company, and the person who had hit him. There is a brief
discussion between commission members.
Mr. Wilson brings the discussion back to when the commission bent over
backwards to follow all of the guidelines of the charges. The commission tried
to bridge communication between the Public Safety Departments and the citizens
of the City of Columbus. They had the open forums. They had the town
meetings, very poorly attended, but did get some input from those things, and
it was pretty consistence. The commission put all that information together,
and did as our charge told us to do; we reported it to the Council. Mr. Wilson
comes back to the one issue, and that is communication.
Chairman Bryant tells the commission he will brief the Mayor on all the
information he received from the committee members. He will brief the Mayor on
the frustration of the committee, and on how the committee should define
themselves and their mission.
Mr. Robert Loving suggests that when Mr. Bryant talks to the Mayor and gives
him the suggestions of the commission, if for some reason they can?t do a lot
of things that they suggested, he recommends that maybe they should disband the
Public Safety Advisory Commission. Mr. C. A. Hardmon agrees with the
recommendation.
Chairman Bryant asks the commission members if he can go ahead with the
suggestions that the commission members gave him. Mr. C. A. Hardmon agrees.
Chairman Bryant moves to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Archie Rainey seconds the
motion. The meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m.
_______________________
Deborah Gasaway
Administrative Specialist III
Recording Secretary
Attachments
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