MADISON, Ala. — The city of Madison wants to bridge the gap between the people who live there and law enforcement. It’s why the Madison Police Citizens Advisory Committee was created.
Keneisha Deas spoke with the Chief of Police Appointee about the new group.
“So we are new,” said Chief of Police Appointee, Rajiv Sharma.
The Madison Police Citizens Advisory Committee was formed last summer with hopes to tackle subjects including domestic violence, mental health, and human trafficking.
“So I think now with the growth and then we have a brand new police chief, who just came on board this summer, so we felt like this was a good time, and the rapid growth of Madison going on, we’re up to like 62,000 people; I think it was just the timing,” said Sharma.
Sharma said rapid growth brings people from different backgrounds.
“One of the unique things of Madison is we’re so fortunate to have diversity here. We have like 89 languages spoken. So a lot of the community is diverse from all parts of the world.”
However, Sharma said that can also create a cultural gap. “They may have different perceptions of the police in their countries, so one, we want to try to bridge that gap to say ‘Hey, we’re here. We’re your friends. Please feel free to come to us. You shouldn’t be afraid, and then also having a cultural awareness.”
“We’ve had issues with the Indian community that, we some of us in the Indian community just came by a few weeks ago. We came by and had a meeting with the chief. Just bridge some concerns,” he added.
The Madison Police Citizens Advisory Committee is held every fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the City Hall on 100 Hughes Road.