Group to hold first meeting on police-community relations

Nearly 3 dozen people part of newly formed council

SAN ANTONIO – A newly formed group assigned to help improve relationships between police and the community in San Antonio is set to hold its first meeting Wednesday evening.

The Council on Police-Community Relationships will meet at 6 p.m. in the Career & Technical Building at Sam Houston High School.

The council is made up of nearly three dozen people from all walks of life who were hand-selected by Mayor Ivy Taylor. Cassandra Littlejohn, a political and community activist, said she gladly accepted the mayor’s invitation and looks forward to making a difference.

"Like many citizens, I share the frustration of where we're at with policing in our nation and our city," Littlejohn said. "I'm hoping that we're able to just better the relationship between the police and the community. "

Shootings across the country involving police officers and largely black men have made tackling this issue a priority locally, she said. Feelings of frustration, in many cases, have led to even more violence. 

Littlejohn said preventing all of this in San Antonio is part of the council’s goal.

"Not all law enforcement are bad apples. There are some good, law-abiding police officers,” she said.

Promoting understanding and improving communication on both sides will go a long way toward bettering relationships, Littlejohn said.

According to a news release from the mayor’s office, the council will be tasked with recommending specific actions in five areas;,how police work with the community, officer training and police recruitment targets and processes.

The release stated that the meeting, which is the first of several to come, will not be open to members of the media.  However, it stated that various members of the council will be made available to answer questions afterward.


About the Author:

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.