Contact:

The AADM 

Email: admin@aadmovement.org

Phone: 706 389 4129

   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY

The AADM Community Oversight Project

ATHENS, Ga. (October 5, 2022) – On June 01, 2022, the AADM officially launched the Community Oversight Project. This initiative is designed to improve community and police relations; promote accountability and transparency in law enforcement;  and support the development of the Athens Clarke County Public Safety Civilian Oversight Board (PSCOB). The AADM will also publish an annual Justice Reform Report Card.

Over the past few months, the AADM has monitored the development of the Athens Public Safety Civilian Oversight Board (PSCOB) which was established to provide a permanent citizen’s oversight board in Athens-Clarke County. This board is made up of 9 voting members from the community and 6 non-voting members from local government-law enforcement agencies. 

The AADM believes in order to build trust and improve the relationship between community and policing there must be transparency and accountability in law enforcement and civilian oversight is key.  When acts such as excessive force, racial profiling, and routine stop and frisk occurs, law enforcement officers are far too often not held accountable for violating their role in the community and abuse of their power as reported by the “National Association Civilian Oversight Law Enforcement.” Athens Clarke County is not exempt from this issue and  lack of accountability and transparency in law enforcement can deteriorate community trust and foster suspicion. Therefore, the AADM launched the Community Oversight Project to continue working to enhance transparency and accountability in law enforcement and to give voice to community members.

The Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement (AADM) and various community members played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Athens Clarke County Public Safety Civilian Oversight Board (PSCOB) today. We hope that this new agency will help to improve community and police relations and hold law enforcement officers accountable when misconduct/harm occurs. 

To find out more about the AADM Community Oversight Project, please join us on October 25, 2022 for a dinner and discussion on Civilian Oversight & Criminal Justice Reform from 5:30pm-7:30pm at the Athens-Clarke County Library. Limited seating will be available so please RSVP in advance. In addition, weekly meetings are held on Monday’s 6pm-7pm by Zoom.  For more information, please visit www.aadmovement.org or contact admin@aadmovement.org
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