Decatur Police Department and recent shootings to be discussed at study session

On Monday, September 14 at 5:30 PM, the Decatur City Council will be having a study session focusing on the Decatur Police Department and its training, tactics, recruitment, transparency and service to citizens, as well as the recent gun violence taking place in the city. 

According to the meeting memo, the study session will: “1) update the City Council and the population of Decatur at-large on what measures the Decatur Police has taken in the past to modernize the department; 2) what measures and strategies the Decatur Police Department plans to take in the future to continue enhancing its own continuous improvement processes; and 3) discuss initiatives for reducing the recent gun violence that has occurred in Decatur.”

DECATUR HAD MORE SHOOTINGS IN AUGUST THAN IN ANY SINGLE MONTH IN AT LEAST FIVE YEARS

In August 2020, Decatur had 32 shootings.  Prior to last month, the most number of shootings in any month since January 2015 was 15 in August 2019.  Year to date through August, Decatur has experienced 102 shootings.  This eight-month shooting total is higher than any yearly total since at least 2015.  Furthermore, shootings have doubled year-to-date with 48 taking place between January-August 2019 compared to 102 in 2020.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE STUDY SESSION IS AVAILABLE ONLINE - An agenda and background information to the city council meeting can be found at: https://www.decaturil.gov/mayor-and-council/council-meetings/.

CITIZENS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS – If you would like to discuss the upcoming meeting or any other issue with a city council member, phone numbers and e-mail addresses for each council member can be found at the following link: https://www.decaturil.gov/mayor-and-council/council/.

CITIZENS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND MEETINGS AND EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS – Citizens are allotted 3 minutes per person at the end of the city council study session.  Meetings take place at the Theater located on the second floor of the Decatur Civic Center (1 Gary K. Anderson Place).  Free parking is available in the lot immediately south of the entrance.