03/25/21

Dear Friend:

I wanted to follow-up on my last email and share with you my thoughts from our work session on crime this week.  

• I was glad to see that a work session was setup this week to review the Police Department’s Strategic Plan.  I continue to push for us to have regular work sessions on policing.
• The Police Chief presented a thoughtful and comprehensive multi-year plan to reduce crime throughout the City, engage in more community building, and provide de-escalation training and enhanced training to all officers.  Click here to read the strategic plan. 
• The Chief shared that one way to help lower homicide rates now, and in the future, is for the City Council to authorize additional officer positions.  This immediately allows GPD to pursue additional hires in order to get ahead of future vacancies.  But as the Chief reiterated, the hiring process is long and challenging, so this action also immediately gives the Chief additional overtime dollars that can be used until he fills those positions.  In other words, the overtime pay would allow for improved coverage and a safer Greensboro immediately, while at the same time allow the Chief to start the hiring process for long-term, sustainable coverage improvement.  
• To help reduce some of the challenges the Chief raised about the hiring process and officer retention we should immediately approve a pay increase plan that makes us more competitive.  The Chief clearly outlined that we are not currently competitive enough. 
• Informed by the Police Department’s strategic plan and draft staffing study, I asked the City Manager to develop a proposal on the increased open positions and pay increase by next week. 

There is much work to be done on safety and tackling the root causes of crime.  And I look forward to hearing more about my colleagues’ and community members’ ideas on these.   But we should not wait any longer to approve these initial items.  At our April 6th meeting we can do that if it is brought to a vote and the majority of the council approves it.  Let’s support these improvements and get the Police Department these items immediately so we have a stronger foundation to tackle the more difficult ones.

Sincerely,