LAWRENCE, Ind. — In response to growing public concern over police conduct and community safety, the City of Lawrence is rolling out a new initiative aimed at building trust between law enforcement and residents.
The Critical Response Team will bring together police officials and local neighborhood leaders in a collaborative effort to foster accountability and transparency.
On Monday night, members of the Lawrence Police Department joined city officials and community representatives began planning.
“We recognize that there are times when public safety efforts may not have been as successful as we would want them to be,” said Mayor Deb Whitfield said. “The critical response team was created to hold ourselves accountable.”
The Critical Response Team will include eight neighborhood leaders, each representing a specific area of the city, who will work directly alongside police officers.
The aim is to ensure that community voices are part of the decision-making and oversight process when incidents occur.
“It’s all about accountability for the community to be involved in the process,” said Chief Curtis Bigsbee.
"This is “not a quick fix” but a long-term commitment to doing things the right way," said Whitfield.
Community leaders and activists, while cautiously optimistic, stress that the success of the program will hinge on real action rather than meetings.
“It’s ineffective if you try to manage or massage the community,” said Rev. David Greene. “They need to be honest and transparent in order for this to be effective.”
Reverend David Greene, a member of the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis says there needs to be more mental health training for officers and timely release of body camera footage following any critical incident.
“It’s a fine line we’re walking,” Greene said. “But we’ve got to be trained and efficient to walk that line.”
The city says it should launch and take effect by this summer.
