The Denver community is taking steps to start a discussion about reimagining policing in the wake of the George Floyd protests.
"What I'm hearing, seeing, in marches and protests, is that we need something new," said Dr. Robert Davis, with the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance (GMDMA). "[We] need to rethink this whole concept, reimagine this whole process, figure out what works best for the City of Denver."
The GMDMA is teaming up with Denver's Citizen Oversight Board to host a community meeting on Tuesday, June 30, on Zoom.
"We feel very passionate that this needs to be a community-led initiative — that this is community-based process from beginning to end," said Katina Banks, the chair of Denver's Citizen Oversight Board.
The faith community and Citizen Oversight Board are hosting a community meeting on Tuesday, June 30 at 6 p.m. If you'd like to participate, click here.
"Community members came to us, it just seemed appropriate that the Citizen Oversight Board would be supportive and be venue to start having this conversation," said Banks.
The Citizen Advisory Board is a nine-member volunteer group appointed by Denver's City Council and the Mayor. One of their jobs is to make policy recommendations in regard to the police department and the sheriff department.
Banks said Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen and Public Safety Executive Director Murphy Robinson have agreed to participate in the process.
"There's been a huge outcry in community for there to be some reforms, for there to be something done, that brings the way we police into the 21st century," said Dr. Davis.
