CARRBORO, N.C. -- In the interest of advancing racial equity in law enforcement and public safety, the Town of Carrboro has established a Community Safety Task Force.
“We are looking for new approaches to public safety beyond policing,” Mayor Lydia Lavelle said. “The Council recognizes that investments in public safety and in programs and services that keep communities healthy and safe must advance racial equity, be grounded in community demands, and be informed by authentic engagement with grassroots and community organizations.”
On Tuesday, Nov. 16, the Carrboro Town Council appointed the following members to the task force: George Barrett, Barbara Fedders, Benjamin Gear, Madison Hayes, Frances Henderson and Mariela Hernandez. The task force is expected to begin its work in early 2022 following appointments of Council liaisons and establishing a meeting schedule.
Task force members have professional expertise and/or lived experience in the criminal justice, legal system, human services delivery, social work, public health and harm reduction, community building in marginalized populations, or related content areas.
The task force will provide recommendations to the Town Council on additional services to enhance community safety and well-being that rely on prevention and intervention strategies as alternatives to policing and the criminal justice legal system—including but not limited to community nonviolence and de-escalation training programs; domestic violence intervention and prevention; youth-oriented programs; on-call crisis response that would allow certain calls for police assistance to be handled by other trained professionals, such as social workers or crisis counselors; and other related approaches.
Background
