Montrose, CO — By unanimous vote, Montrose City Councilors have appointed 17 members of the community to serve on the new Public Safety Citizen Advisory Committee (PSCAC) to study law enforcement operations in the city.
Councilors appointed Phoebe Benziger, John Boyko, Sharon K. Burnett, Nathan O. Compton, Kristal D. Cooper, Kirstin Copeland, Mark W. Dreher, David M. Frank, Greg R. Fulks, Julia Horn, Rebeqah C. Love, Valery M. Morris, Robert H. Parish, J. David Reed, David A. Stockton, Jay Thoe, and J. Donald Vacca.
The council received and reviewed 20 applications in total. Earlier this year the council agreed that the committee should have between 12 and 18 members and would begin working next year to identify the critical needs of the Montrose Police Department.
The voluntary board is tasked with studying police department operations and determining if the department’s needs can be addressed within the city’s general fund or if new revenue sources are needed.
Earlier this year, a group of concerned citizens representing Montrose Regional Crime Stoppers brought data to the council that they believe supports their conclusion that police services in the city are greatly understaffed and underfunded.
In September councilors unanimously approved a resolution creating the PSCAC to evaluate and recommend potential funding initiatives for the police department.
According to the September resolution, the PSCAC will be tasked with providing written recommendations to the council and delivering their findings at work sessions and regular City Council meetings.
Any recommendations will be approved by majority vote of the committee board before being presented to the council.
The PSCAC will be subject to open meetings laws and will be required to publicly notice their meetings and hold them in a public setting.
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