Ad Hoc Working Group for Police and Community (concluded work)

City Council created an Ad Hoc Working Group for Police and Community with Resolution 2021-18B approved on April 7, 2021. This Ad Hoc Committee has concluded it's work. The Laramie Police Advisory Board was established by Enrolled Ordinance No. 1828 on July 5, 2023. More information will be available soon. The City is currently accepting applications for the Laramie Police Advisory Board. 

Fact Sheet

Meetings: 

Working group will meet not less than monthly for six (6) months.

Button Agendas, minutes, and recordings cropped Opens in new window

Anticipated Schedule:
City Council Resolution: April 7, 2021
Application Period for Community Resident Members: April 12 - 30, 2021
Nominating Committee Convened as Needed: April 8 - May 14, 2021
City Council Confirmation of Community Resident Members Candidate Slate: May 18, 2021
Appointment Period for Institutional Representatives & Sworn Officer Liaison: April 1 – May 14, 2021
Initial WGPC Meeting: May 19 – 30, 2021
Recommendations Due to City Leadership: December 1, 2021

 Purpose: 

A broad-based working group that will consider Laramie’s municipal policing services and provide a body of recommendations to city leadership. At the first meeting, working group will elect a Chair and Vice Chair and establish bylaws for the conduct of their meetings subject to the approval of the City Clerk and Attorney for parliamentary and legal appropriateness. Within six (6)  months of the first meeting the working group will provide recommendation to city leadership as follows:

  1. Review  data, evidence, and available resources and, subsequently, advise city government leadership regarding community values, needs, and priorities for policing, and 
  2. Advise regarding potential solutions and methods for meeting the policing values, needs and priorities of the community, including potential mental health programs to assist law enforcement;
  3. Advise on how best to build understanding, effective communication and trust between Laramie’s police department and the community;
  4. Advise regarding transparency and accountability around use of force, police conduct and police oversight; and
  5. Advise on other community-related policing matters which may be expressly referred to working group by the City Council and/or City Manager; and
  6. As part of these efforts, working group will host at least three (3) community forum facilitated by an impartial third-party, with minutes made available to the public.
  7. As part of these efforts, city shall provide ad hoc working group with an email account or means to receive citizen comments through email and publish via city website updates so that interested citizens can remain apprised of these efforts.  
  8. The city council will provide a professional facilitator to conduct meetings.
  9. The working group will provide regular updates to Laramie City Council. 

Membership: 

The working group will consist of twenty-three (23) total members for a term of six (6) months. Representation will include individual residents of the city of Laramie, institutional partners, municipal officials, and community liaisons. 

Community/Resident Representation (8)

  • Six (6) Laramie Residents, Selected by Nominating Committee & Confirmed by City Council
  • Two (2) Laramie Residents Engaged in Provision of Local Social Services, Selected by Nominating Committee & Confirmed by City Council

Application disclosures will be sufficient to establish eligibility of community resident members. No current member of the Laramie Police Department, or his or her family members of first degree or dependents, may serve as a community resident member of the working group. No active employee of the city may serve as a community resident member of the working group. Not more than one (1) community resident member position may be filled by a retired, sworn law enforcement professional. 

Nominating Committee will review applications for community resident member positions and, subsequently, select and submit the slate of eight (8) community resident members for confirmation by the City Council. Nominating Committee will be comprised of key community leaders as indicated:

  1. Albany County School District Superintendent
  2. Vice Mayor 
  3. UW Chief Diversity Officer
  4. UW Criminal Justice Program Director
  5. Police Chaplain  

Selection Criteria: Nominating Committee will select resident members who represent the diverse communities within the city.

Institutional Representation (7)

  • One (1) Albany County School District Member (ACSD), Appointed by ACSD Board
  • One (1) University of Wyoming Criminal Justice Program Faculty Member, Appointed by Department Head 
  • One (1) Council for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Member (CDEI), Appointed by CDEI
  • One (1) Associated Students of U.W. (ASUW) Member, Appointed by ASUW
  • One (1) Albany County Crime Victim Witness Representative (ACCVW), Appointed by ACVW Director 
  • One (1) Albany County Community Mental Health Board (ACCMHB) Member who is a licensed mental health provider, Appointed by ACCMHB 
  • One (1) Legal Defense Member (Pending Response---Staff Will Provide an Update Upon Confirmation from the Prospective Partner Agency of their Willingness to Participate)

Current Police Oversight Representation (6)

  • Two (2) City Council Members, Appointed by City Council
  • Mayor, President of the City Council 
  • One (1) Police Sworn-Management Member (Chief of Police/Asst. Chief)
  • One (1) Police Civilian, Non-Sworn-Management Member (Manager/Asst. Manager/H.R. Director) 
  • One (1) Police Legal-Management Member (Attorney/Asst. Attorney)

 Laramie Law Enforcement Professionals (2)

  • One (1) Laramie Municipal Sworn Officer, Non-Command
  • One (1) Laramie Law Enforcement Professional, Retired or Active

 Liaison Representation

  • One (1) Police Chaplain
  • Other liaisons may be established at any time as necessary by majority consensus of the Working Group

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETINGS OF THE AD HOC WORKING GROUP FOR POLICE AND COMMUNITY 

 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Public Meetings of the Ad Hoc Working 

Group for Police and Community will be held the following dates and times to receive public comments related to Laramie’s municipal policing services:

November 29, 2021, 6:30-8:00 pm

December 2, 2021, 12:00-1:30 pm

December 4, 2021, 12:00-1:30 pm.  

These meetings will be held virtually via Zoom Meeting ID: 839 6184 1269  Passcode: 408035.

 /s/ Mitchell Cushman and Tracey Rosenlund, Co-chairs WGPC
Attest:/s/ Nancy Bartholomew, CMC, City Clerk  

 Advertised: Friday November 19, 2021 published in the newspaper Laramie Boomerang. 

####

Zoom Link: https://cityoflaramie.zoom.us/j/83961841269?pwd=Y0xFd1Y3MGF0R29ZNENoQ2hIWUVHUT09

 Public comments may be sent via email: wgpc@cityoflaramie.org. 

Useful Links: 

The Ad Hoc Working Group for Police and Community was established by the City of Laramie in Resolution 2021-18B of this year.

The formation of the group was based on City Council's Resolution 2020-38 from June 30, 2020.

For more detailed information on this, you can read the Group Memories on the City of Laramie's agenda center: www.cityoflaramie.org/agendacenter. 

Email the working group email at: wgpc@cityoflaramie.org.