Dear Decatur Community Members:
Over the past week, many of you have sent emails to the City Commission, the City Manager and Police Department staff providing your thoughts, prayers and support for our law enforcement officers; and, relaying your concerns about incidents of officer involved shootings happening throughout the United States; and, asking what the City of Decatur has done, and is doing, to support a diverse and engaged community, to minimize the opportunity for racial bias in City operations and to have a police department that is open and responsive to the needs of the entire community.
Our City is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all people. Please know that we take this role very seriously and that the Decatur Police Department, as well as all of our employees, works hard to fulfill this commitment.
In 2014 the City of Decatur signed on to the Compassionate City movement and joined Welcoming America.
In 2015, with the input of over 800 community members, the City of Decatur completed the Better Together Community Action Plan that identified ways in which we could expand and improve on our community’s commitment to being open and welcoming to all people. Better Together is a citizen-led, government supported effort to build deeper connections, understanding and mutual respect throughout the Decatur community. A more comprehensive look at Better Together and how it furthers our goal of valuing diversity in all its forms can be found at www.decaturnext.com/category/better-together.
We have created a citizen-based Better Together Advisory Board and have received 32 statements of interest from the community which is the most we have ever received for any volunteer board or commission. Members will be appointed in the near future and we look forward to working with them to implement the rest of the plan.
The Decatur Police Department starts its efforts with being open and responsive with how it recruits for new employees. The Guiding Principle of the department is “Community Relations Officers who enforce the law.” Our printed material and advertisements are different because we want a different type of person to apply. 
An example of a recruitment ad is shown to the right.
The Decatur Police Department has just completed a three-year strategic plan that solicited input from approximately 24 community focus groups. The core values of the department include Approachability, Integrity, Adaptability, Collaboration and Empathy. Eleven teams are working on implementation of the plan.
Since January 1, 2015 a quarterly demographic analysis of police initiated stops has been posted to the City’s website at http://www.decaturga.com/city-government/city-departments/police.
The Decatur Police Department command team has reviewed and analyzed the recommendations included in the “Task Force for 21st Century Policing Report” and has identified the items we currently comply with and are working towards achieving the others.
In November, 2014 all Decatur Police officers and the city’s management team completed a diversity program led by trainers from the Anti-Defamation League’s A World of Difference Institute (ADL.org). Beginning in 2015, Officers have participated in Critical Incident Team (CIT) training which focuses on providing officers with tools to interact with people in crisis situations brought on by mental illness or substance abuse. Currently 29 out of 42 officers (almost 70%) have been trained and the Department’s goal is to have all staff trained. As part of the current fiscal year 2016-2017 budget, funding for training all Police Department staff on fair and impartial policing has been approved. More information can be found at http://www.fairimpartialpolicing.com/.
I appreciated the comments of a local clergy who on Sunday suggested we find someone who is different from us and simply listen to them. Ask them to tell you more about what they believe- from their perspective. And that can help us begin to better understand and respect each other.
We in Decatur are becoming a more compassionate community through these actions and I would ask each of you to join me in creating an even Better Community, Together.
View the mayor’s statement here: Community Statement from Mayor Patti Garrett
Thank you for this summary, your service and that of so many others who run the City of Decatur and to all who, in addition to the police, serve in different capacities. Even though taxes are a stretch, I am pleased to support these kind of initiatives in the city.