A police consultant group that studied CMPD’s response to the protests that followed the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott last year will hold its final town hall meeting in Charlotte on Monday evening.
The City hired the Washington D.C.-based Police Foundationto review CMPD policies and procedures, training, and community relations after sometime-violent protests rocked the city in September, 2016. About two months ago, the Foundation issued a draft report of its findings and nearly three dozen recommendations.
Overall, the group said CMPD “acted appropriately” and followed its own procedures as it responded to protests sparked by the Keith Scott shooting. But Foundation officials also told city leaders that police weren’t fully prepared for the impromptu and highly-mobile nature of those protests.
The draft report also noted public statements by Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts in the days following the shooting that called on Police Chief Kerr Putney to release police video of the incident. The report said Roberts’ comments created “discrepancies in the public messaging” and contributed to a “media whirlwind.”
It’s not clear when the Foundation will issue its final report, but the city’s $380,000 contract with the group ends December 15.
The public can give feedback on the Police Foundation’s draft report at a town hall meeting Monday from 6:30 -8:30 p.m. at Little Rock AME Zion Church, 401 N. McDowell Street.
