In the ongoing effort to better serve the community, the Asbury Park City Council has announced the establishment of an Asbury Park Equity Committee, which will be charged with reviewing the Police Department’s policies and procedures on police enforcement and discrimination.
In addition, it will determine whether these policies and procedures are effective, and, if necessary, recommending proposed amendments to these policies and procedures. All findings and recommendations will be reported by the committee to the council in a public forum.
Equity Committee Members will include elected officials and city administration, representatives from the Asbury Park Police Department, community leaders, including clergy, and individual residents of the city. All appointed members must either be residents of the city, or be involved with a business entity, non-profit organization, educational institution or religious institution located within the city.
“We take great pride in our city’s diversity and our goal in creating the Equity Committee is to ensure justice and equity for our residents by supporting the development of policies and practices that promote fairness, equity, transparency and accountability,” Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton said. “Our intention is for the members of the Equity Committee to represent a wide range of backgrounds and experiences so they can provide a wide range of input, while also soliciting input from the entire community.”
“In light of recent national and local events involving law enforcement and community protests, it’s with a sense of urgency that we have created the Equity Committee to look into police reform and progressive police policy,” Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn said. “With the support of Police Chief David Kelso, Deputy Chief Guy Thompson and Community Relations Liaison Michael Casey, we are certain the Committee will identify the best policing practices to increase trust between the APPD and our community.”
To apply to be a member of the Equity Committee, fill out a volunteer application by Fri., Sept. 18.
The application can be found at www.cityofasburypark.com/cityc