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Category: Editorials Editorials
Published: 17 June 2022 17 June 2022

My name is Sharon Bookwalter and I live in Silver City. On behalf of the Citizens for Safety and Community, I am grateful for the opportunity to appear before you this evening. Citizens for Safety and Community is a group of local residents who have proposed the creation of an Advisory and Review Board to Alex Brown, James Marshall, Chief Portillo, and other city officials. This Board, composed of a retired law enforcement professional, a mental health professional, and members appointed by council members, would serve, along with those changes announced today by the Silver City Police Department, to support the local police department and prevent situations like those leading to the tragic death of Nikki Bascom on April 21, 2016. We appreciate the time and attention given to us to voice our concerns.

We, as a community, are faced with the unhappy need for the issuance of gross receipts revenue bonds; bonds that are necessary to satisfy Silver City's indebtedness to resolve the lawsuit arising out of the tragic death of Nikki Bascom. We believe, based on the experience of many municipalities, including nearby Tucson, Arizona, that the creation of such a Board would make a very beneficial contribution toward the Town's on-going efforts to mitigate its liability risks, improve our police services, and avert such tragedies.

A Citizens Advisory and Review Board would provide a neutral third party to hear complaints from the community about the police and follow those complaints through to resolution, reviewing and documenting the process to ensure those complaints are given all the considerations due by policy and law. This process would further serve to foster trust, communication, and cooperation between the police department and the community. In addition, the Board would help seek out the best continuing education needs and opportunities to ensure maximum safety for local law enforcement.

In view of the issuance of the bonds and in view of the need for the bonds for "risk management mitigation measures," we hope that we can proceed to the expeditious creation of our recommended advisory board.