The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communication Committee was formed by the Selectboard in 2005 in response to a town meeting passed resolution calling for “a Brattleboro Civilian Police Board ... to provide consistent feedback between the police and community, provide an independent means to mediate disputes between the community and police, and to foster community safety.” After being appointed by the Selectboard, the five of us on the Citizen Police Communication Committee (CPCC) took several months to develop our mission statement and determine our procedures. We officially began accepting concerns, complaints and compliments on March 27.
The CPCC may be reached by phone at 802 251-8133, by e-mail at cpcc@brattleboro.org or by mail sent to CPCC, Town Manager’s Office, 230 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301. CPCC Complaint/Compliment forms and brochures on the program are available at the Brooks Memorial Library; the ALANA office at 214 Main Street; Youth Services, 32 Walnut Street; Brattleboro Union High School on Fairground Road and The Boys and Girls Club, 17 Flat Street or on the Town Web site, www.brattleboro.org. Our meetings are open to the public. It is best to call or e mail us to check on the time and place of the meetings.
One of the CPCC members will be on duty each week to check the e mails and voice mails and pick up the forms. The member on duty will respond to each communication as soon as possible to let the sender know that his/her e mail, voice mail or form was received and to request further information if needed. The Committee will review the e-mails, voice mails and forms at its meeting to take the appropriate action. All the communications will be recorded for statistical purposes. Compliments will be sent to the police officers involved and their supervisors. Complaints will be reviewed. If any criminal action is involved, the complaint will need to be investigated either by the States Attorney’s office or the BPD internal affairs office. The CPCC may recommend that complaints about actions which are not criminal be mediated by professionals at the Brattleboro Community Justice Center, if both the complainant and the police officer agree.
A member of the CPCC will speak at the April 20 meeting of the Clark/Canal Association (6:30 pm at the Agape Church on Canal St.). We welcome requests to attend meetings of other community groups. Requests may be made through the CPCC phone number or e mail.
Our primary mission is to promote open and mutually respectful communication between citizens and the Brattleboro Police Department. We can only do that with input from the community!
Brattleboro Citizen Police Communication Committee
John Schaefer, chair
Gail Cooper
Kati Knapp
Lynn Martin
Mark Schiller