ATLANTA – State Representative Keisha Waites (D-Atlanta) recently attended the 2016 Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police (GACP) Symposium where she participated on the Use of Force Panel. The panel consisted of members from the legal and law enforcement fields and examined the use of police force in law enforcement activities.
“Holding meetings on this topic highlights the importance of collaboration among agencies and creating awareness for the general public,” said Rep. Waites. “The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is being called-on more than ever to investigate incidents involving the use of force in addition to several situations highlighted in both Georgia’s media and nationwide. For this reason, I feel the GACP symposium, and the Use of Force Panel specifically, was a timely and necessary discussion.”
The GACP Use of Force Panel examined various topics of discussion, including how law enforcement and public officials can educate the public about police use of force issues, the effects of House Bill 941 and Grand Jury presentations by law enforcement officials, and how to build a stronger relationship between communities and law enforcement. Members of the panel included Russell Andrews, GBI Deputy Director; Chief Dan Flynn, Marietta Police Department; Lance LoRusso, LoRusso Law Firm, P.C.; Amber Robinson, City of Atlanta Legal; and State Rep. Keisha Waites.
“I represent a very diverse district where many in my community often mistrust the police,” said Rep. Waites. “I want to work to be a consensus builder and a conduit for healing and understanding, and I believe that open dialogue like this is a step in the right direction.”
For more information on the GACP, please click here.
Representative Keisha Waites represents the citizens of District 60, which includes portions of Clayton and Fulton counties. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2012, and currently serves on the Interstate Cooperation, Juvenile Justice, Public Safety & Homeland Security, Special Rules, and Transportation committees.
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