With ongoing national protests and calls from groups to defund law enforcement agencies, the Truckee Police Department has taken a proactive approach by launching a chief’s advisory committee.

The committee — which as approved by Town Council at its Tuesday, April 27, meeting — is intended to serve as a sounding board for the chief, provide community feedback, give perspective on the community’s vision for police services and their role, and create greater connection between the police and community.

“The Chief’s Advisory Committee was really developed as an idea to respond to some of the national and regional narratives surrounding local law enforcement currently, and the current public perception of our business,” said Police Chief Randy Billingsley during the Town Council meeting.

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Since receiving approval, the police department has moved ahead with the formation of the committee, and is now accepting applications to join the group.

The program is estimated to launch this summer, and would include members of the community selected from a pool of applicants with the intent on finding representation from a diverse cross section of residents. Application questions range from goals and experiences of members to involvement in the community, such as being a part of a nonprofit, the education system, a faith-based organization, or being a local business owner.

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Terms on the committee would be one or two years with a limit of three years of service. The committee will be made up of six to 10 members chosen by Billingsley and Town Manager Jennifer Callaway. Meetings will likely take place once a month.

Those selected to the committee will be responsible for connecting with the greater community to elicit opinions, experiences, and feedback. Criteria for membership includes being a Truckee resident, having historical knowledge of the area, and ideally reflecting a diverse representation of the Truckee community. The department also noted that “an applicant’s immigration status is not a consideration for membership and shall not preclude any applicant from serving on the Chief’s Advisory Committee,” and that, “an applicant’s immigration status will not be shared with any other law enforcement or governmental agency, whether local, state or federal.”

Applications for the Chief’s Advisory Committee are open through the end of the month and can be found at http://www.truckeepolice.com/police-services.

Justin Scacco is a reporter for the Sierra Sun. Contact him at jscacco@sierrasun.com or 530-550-2643