Chapel Hill police seek student feedback

The Chapel Hill Police Department met with UNC students Thursday night to get feedback on its performance.

The meeting was hosted by the safety committee of student government and included representatives from the police department and the town’s Justice in Action Committee.

Police will consider student input to improve their strategic plan.

“The plan is the police department’s way of going to the community and saying, ‘Hey, how are we doing?’” said Sgt. Josh Mecimore, spokesman for the Chapel Hill Police Department.

“It allows us to get feedback on whether we’re moving in the right direction.”

Students brought up issues including bike safety, jaywalking and the presence of the police department.

After meetings in June, the police department decided to conduct targeted meetings to get specific feedback from groups like UNC students, Mecimore said.

“Part of the plan is to utilize social media to try to communicate better, often with the students,” he said.

“Promoting pedestrian and cyclist safety is another area students would have significant involvement in.”

The Justice in Action Committee worked with the police department in 2010 to get feedback from the community.

“We thought students were an important demographic whose voice really needed to be heard,” said Will Hendrick, chairman of the committee.

Mecimore said one of the most important things the strategic plan has done for UNC students is put a greater emphasis on traffic safety.

He said prior to the plan, the department had officers who regulated traffic. It now has a separate unit for pedestrian and bicycle safety.

Since the creation of the plan, police have also improved communication between the department and the town, Mecimore said.

“It’s a living document, and it’s going to change as we solicit more feedback,” Mecimore said. “We might go in one direction, but if needs change, we can alter the plan.”

Although only 11 students attended the meeting, South Moore, a member of the safety committee, said the turnout did not disappoint him and he was impressed people outside student government came.

“We wanted students outside the student government bubble to learn more about public safety off campus,” Moore said.

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