Letter: The Public Safety Commission is Dalton’s police community review board

Published 6:41 pm Tuesday, June 9, 2020

There is no way to justify what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis. The action taken was unconscionable and wrong; it was murder and it was good to see that the people in Dalton wished to add their voices to those who seek justice for Mr. Floyd and others.

We do have a citizen review board in Dalton. One of the points made in last Tuesday’s Daily Citizen-News covering this past Monday afternoon’s march through downtown Dalton was that a community review board of law enforcement actions would be a positive step. This is often a common complaint or request among those seeking police reform in other parts of the country, in Dalton there already exists a citizen review board that has direct oversight over the police department.

The Public Safety Commission (PSC) was created in 1945 and supervises the Dalton Police Department including approval of policies, procedure, review and approval of crime statistics, and budget each month. The commissioners also talk with DPD leadership through the month as needs arise.

The Dalton City Council appoints the five members of the commission for staggered five-year terms. The current commission is comprised of Terry Mathis, Dr. Luis Viamonte, Anthony Walker, Kenneth Willis and myself. We are a racially diverse board, with the African-American and Hispanic communities represented along with Caucasians. The city council also appoints a member as the liaison to the commission, Annalee Harlan.

I have great faith in the professionalism of our police department. We require new hires to graduate from Georgia’s Police Academy before they are confirmed as officers by the PSC. In addition, they must complete an additional 14 weeks in the Field Training Program before they reach solo status. I do not believe the PSC can ever say “It cannot happen here,” but I do believe the PSC can promise that we hold our DPD leadership and officers to a high standard and that PSC members are the citizen’s eyes and ears to make sure the standard is upheld. Our Police Department is also accredited by Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.

The PSC meets on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 8:30 a.m. in the city council’s chambers. The public is welcome and invited to attend and learn more about how their police and fire departments are working to serve the residents of Dalton.

William. B. Weaver

Chair of the City of Dalton Public Safety Commission