Title
Resolution to Amend the Resolution Establishing the Citizens Police Advisory Group as a Hampton City Council Appointed Committee
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
The Citizens Police Advisory Group ("CPAG") was established by resolution of City Council, on October 12, 2016 as part of the City Council's and Hampton Police Division's commitment to support the recommendations of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing (the "Resolution"). The Resolution was amended on January 10, 2018 and again on January 12, 2022. The current amendment is recommended by staff in order to enable the CPAG to continue with its important work during times when there may be vacancies of the Non-Institutional Members of CPAG, who are appointed by City Council, or Institutional members, who serve as ex-officio members, need to be reassigned by their respective institutions. The proposed amendment would lower the quorum requirement from a set number of ten members, to a number of Institutional and Non-Institutional Members equal to the majority of Non-Institutional Members currently appointed by the City Council. While Institutional Members can count toward the quorum, they do not count towards the calculation of the quorum. For example, if all 15 Non-Institutional Members have been appointed by City Council, the required attendance of both Institutional and Non-Institutional members needed in order to achieve a quorum, would be eight.
Impact:
There is no fiscal impact.
Recommendation:
Rec
Approve the Resolution.
Body
WHEREAS, the Hampton City Council has endorsed the Hampton Police Division’s support for the recommendations of the Final Report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing;
WHEREAS, recommendation 4.5.3 of that report advocates for the establishment of a citizen group to advise the police on crime prevention strategies and agency policies;
WHEREAS, the Hampton City Council deems it advisable to appoint an advisory committee, the Citizens Police Advisory Group (CPAG), to consult with the Hampton Police Division and serve in this advisory role.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Hampton, Virginia that the Council does hereby affirm its establishment of the Hampton Citizen Advisory Group that shall consist of nineteen (19) citizens (who shall serve without compensation). The citizens appointed to this advisory committee shall have the knowledge and abilities required to advise the Hampton Police Division on crime prevention strategies and agency policies from a citizen’s perspective.
1. Appointments: The members of the Citizens Police Advisory Group shall be comprised of citizen representatives from the following stakeholder groups:
A. One representative from Hampton City Schools
B. Two representatives from the Faith Community
C. One representative from Langley Air Force Base
D. One representative from the Legal Community
E. One representative from the Hampton Citizens’ Unity Commission
F. One representative from the Hampton Neighborhood Commission
G. Four representatives from the Community at Large
H. One representative from a Civil Rights Organization
I. Three representatives from the Business Community
J. Two representatives from Institutions of Higher Education
K. Two representatives from the Non-Profit Community
The representatives from Hampton City Schools, Langley Air Force Base, and the Institutions of Higher Learning (Hampton University and Thomas Nelson Community College) shall hereinafter be referred to as “the Institutional Members.” Institutional members shall be ex officio members of the Citizens’ Police Advisory Group with voting rights, and may be selected by their respective agencies.
All Non-Institutional Members shall be appointed by City Council. All other Non-Institutional Members shall be appointed for a term of four (4) years. Any vacancy of a Non-Institutional Member on the committee shall be filled by Council for the unexpired term. Members whose terms have expired shall continue to serve until their successor has been appointed. In order to stagger the terms of the representatives appointed, the initial appointments only shall be for the following term lengths (thereafter appointments shall be for the normal four (4) year terms):
• Initial three (3) year terms: One representative from the Faith Community, one representative from Community at Large, the representative from the Hampton
• Citizens’ Unity Commission and the representative from the Hampton Neighborhood Commission
• Initial four (4) year terms: One representative from the Faith Community, one representative from the Community at Large, the representative from the Legal Community, and the representative from a Civil Rights Organization.
2. Meetings: The Citizens Police Advisory Group shall meet on a regular basis with the Chief of Police or his designee(s) and at such times as the Chief of Police or his designee(s) shall request a meeting to consult on items of interest to the committee.
3. Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Quorum: the committee shall elect a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson from its membership who shall serve at the pleasure of the membership. A quorum for all purposes shall consist of a number of Institutional and Non-Institutional members equal to the majority of Non-Institutional Members currently appointed by the City Council. While Institutional Members can count toward the quorum, they do not count towards the calculation of the quorum. For example, if all 15 Non-Institutional Members have been appointed by City Council, the required attendance of both Institutional and Non-Institutional members needed in order to achieve a quorum, would be eight.
4. Duties of Citizens Police Advisory Group: The committee shall act in an advisory capacity to the Chief of Police and shall consult with the Chief of Police on matters brought to the committee by the Chief of Police or his designee(s) concerning crime prevention strategies or Hampton Police Division policies. Items brought up by the membership of the committee, and receiving a majority vote of the committee, shall be referred to the Chief of Police or his designee(s) for investigation and consideration as to the feasibility of adoption for Hampton Police Division policy.
5. Responsibilities of the Chief of Police to the Citizens Police Advisory Group: At the meetings of the committee, the Chief of Police or his designee(s) shall make a report on such items as may have been referred to him by a majority vote of the committee. The Chief of Police shall cause minutes of the committee meetings to be recorded.