Editorial: Communication is key to COM’s policing advisory council

The advisory council was formed after a review of campus police services was completed by a special task force established by COM President David Wain Coon.

College of Marin’s move to have its Campus Policing and Public Safety Advisory Council meet the standards of the state’s open meeting laws is a step that’s good for both the college’s small police force and for those who rely on them.

The advisory council has been meeting since last year, but has had a low profile. It has not yet made any recommendations to the college’s president or board of trustees.

Involving the public, hearing their concerns, suggestions and even complaints is important to the work of any police department that aspires to the model of “community policing.”

The goal of that model is to connect with the community, encouraging officers to get to know the people they serve, not just victims and perpetrators.

Building mutual trust and respect, between officers and the people they serve, may be a department’s strongest asset in keeping the peace.

Communication is a key.

By encouraging more public involvement in its work, the advisory council is steering clear of operating in a virtual silo to a venue where people’s concerns can be raised, heard and responded to.

Initially, the group has been looking at other community college campuses to get ideas of how other schools’ police forces operate. Importantly, its members have also reviewed incident reports, giving them a better idea of the day-to-day matters faced by the COM officers and trends.

Safety and security are top priorities for college police forces.

The advisory council was formed after a review of campus police services was completed by a special task force established by COM President David Wain Coon. That review was in response to the nationwide outcry following the 2020 police killings of George Floyd, Briana Taylor and others.

The advisory council has a broad charge, ranging from campus security to policing. Its work also includes a focus on what the college’s general counsel, Mia Robertshaw, called “the historic and systemic prejudices and disparities” that affect campus safety and promoting an inclusive campus environment.

With 13 members, the panel has a lot of room for the broad-based membership that reflect the focus Robertshaw outlined.

Making itself better known to students, faculty and the general public and opening its meetings to the public by posting its agendas underscores the importance the board places in the advisory council.

Sure, there may be some public airing of complaints. There will also be concerns raised about campus safety that had not been on the police force’s radar, but now is.

Those who want to be heard or see a need for improvements have a place to go to voice their concerns, directly, not through a chain of command.

COM trustees and Coon have taken a wise step – a long-term reform – in establishing a police services advisory council and opening the door to increasing communication between the department and those it serves.