JEFFERSON CITY – State Sen. Brian Williams, D-University City, will hold a virtual town hall to discuss police reform on Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Christi Griffin, founder and president of the Ethics Project, will moderate the discussion. In addition to Sen. Williams, Carlton Mayers, founder and head consultant of Mayers Strategic Solutions, LLC, and Rod Chapel, president of the Missouri NAACP, will also take part in the discussion. During the town hall, panelists will discuss potential changes to law enforcement training, operational procedures and other policies.
During the first extra legislative session called by the governor, Sen. Williams introduced Senate Bill 16 regarding police reform. The legislation eliminated citizen’s arrest, allowed no-knock warrants only when there is a reasonable suspicion the suspect of a violent felony will escape or cause bodily harm to others, prohibited the use of chokeholds and required officers to complete a minimum amount of training in regards to de-escalation tactics.
“I am hosting this town hall because I want to give my constituents an avenue to voice their ideas and concerns when it comes to addressing our state’s problems with violent crime,” said Sen. Williams. “While the legislation passed during this year’s first extra session is a start, I do not believe it does enough to address the root causes of violent crime in our state. By having a dialogue on this important issue, I am hopeful we can identify ways to reform policing and improve the relationships between civilians and law enforcement.”
For more information on the virtual town hall, please call Sen. Williams’ office at 573-751-4106.