Denton Mayor to Form Use-of-Force Committee

DENTON, TX, June 9, 2020 – The Denton City Council has approved a resolution of support for Mayor Chris Watts to form an ad hoc committee to review police use-of-force policies and develop a report of findings and recommendations to the Mayor and City Council no later than September 15, 2020.

Mayor Watts, with the support of Police Chief Frank Dixon and the Denton City Council, is joining former President Barack Obama’s “Commit to Action” initiative for police reform following the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The national initiative, led by former President Obama and the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, calls on mayors across the nation to commit to:

1. REVIEW your police use of force policies.

2. ENGAGE your communities by including a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories in your review.

3. REPORT the findings of your review to your community and seek feedback.

4. REFORM your community’s police use of force policies.

Referred to as the Commit to Action pledge, it asks mayors to commit to take the above actions and report on progress within 90 days.

Mayor Watts intends to sign the pledge immediately. The ad hoc committee will be made up of diverse stakeholders and community members. The following is a list groups and individuals to which Mayor Watts plans to extend an invitation:

• Representative from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

• Representative from League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)

• Representative from the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) University of North Texas College Chapter

• Representative from Denton Police Training Advisory Committee

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• Representatives from University of North Texas (UNT), Texas Woman’s University (TWU), and North Central Texas College (NCTC)

• Representatives from the LGBTQ Community

• Representatives from the Faith Community

• Representative of Persons with Disabilities

• Representative from Denton County MHMR

• Citizen Representatives from the Denton Community

• Representative from the Denton Police Officers Association (DPOA)

• Representative from the Denton Municipal Police Association (DMPA)

Chief Dixon, Denton Police Accreditation and Compliance Unit Representative Dr. Richard Williams, City Manager Todd Hileman, Deputy City Attorney Mike Cronig, and City Council Member Jesse Davis would serve as ex officio members to the temporary citizen ad-hoc committee.

Contact: Ryan Adams, (940) 349-8565, Ryan.Adams@cityofdenton.com