MATTHEWS, N.C. — People living in Matthews will have the opportunity to make their voices count.
The Matthews Police Department is looking to implement a police advisory committee consisting of regular folks from the community, in an effort to promote transparency.
Brandon Mills is the owner of Stumptown Station, a cocktail lounge in Matthews for the last five years. Mills says he's noticed the growth in his neighborhood, especially in the last 10 years, and expressed interest in serving with the police advisory committee.
"Public safety is really a community issue. I think that it's important for the police department to build trust with the community, and I think it's important for the community to be able to trust the officers," he said. "So, I think it's a really good bridge, to go between what the officers do every day, and what the citizens are doing out in the town."
According to the department's annual report, major crimes went down in 2021. Officers believe now is a good opportunity to talk to people to see where there's room for improvement.
"One thing is to keep people safe," Tim Aycock, public information officer for Matthews Police, said. "The other thing is for them to feel that they're safe."
Aycock also said discussions between the advisory committee and police chief will be about hearing the community's voices. Meetings could be about policy, or as simple as uniforms.
The police chief plans to appoint nine people to serve a term of two years. He's looking for a group to represent the town's diversity. Anyone interested can either download an application and turn it back into Matthews PD or fill out an application online. Applications will be accepted until the end of April.
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