Flint residents who are interested in being a part of the Black Lives Matter Advisory Council to the Flint Police Department are invited to officially express their interest.
The new citizen-led initiative announced this week by Mayor Sheldon Neeley is expected to have seven members. So, space is limited. Committee members must be residents of the city of Flint.
“The Black Lives Matter Advisory Council will help ensure our residents have a seat at the table and a direct connection to the city of Flint Police Department to express concerns and resolve issues,” Neeley said. “What happened to George Floyd is inexcusable. All of us-myself, protesters, and the city of Flint Police Department-are coming together, united in our commitment to justice and equality.”
Along with basic contact information, applicants are asked to identify their community involvement and indicate why they would like to be a member of the Black Lives Matter Advisory Council to the Flint Police Department.
Creation of the Black Lives Matter Advisory Council is one piece of a six-part city of Flint action plan announced by Neeley this week. The plan was developed in conjunction with local protest organizers and Flint Police Chief Phil Hart. Other actions include:
— Formation of a Coalition of Black Mayors to address issues of systemic racism on a statewide level.
— Instituting Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation training for the Flint Police Department through the leadership of Chief Hart.
— A resolution to denounce the use of illegal restraint methods and create a zero tolerance policy for their use.
— A resolution to declare racism a public health crisis.
— Adoption of a new ordinance to make bias crime reporting illegal.
Those interested in being a part of the advisory council can fill out an online application at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHuvt0cpOdc6d9bfDwVYuvxCkLqMKNYgWlzgbaiomGs3Goxg/viewform, or by calling (810) 259-5291 during normal business hours to apply over the phone. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. June 12.
