CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Champaign leaders are inviting the public to talk with leaders about the future of policing in the city. 

These new efforts to involve the public will start with five community listening sessions, which will be held virtually over Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. People can be part of the meetings or watch them on CGTV (Comcast and i3 Broadband channel 5, U-verse channel 99). Meetings will be streamed on the city's website.  

The meeting schedule is as follows: 

  • Thursday, Sept. 24, 6-8 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Sept. 29, 6-8 p.m.
  • Saturday, Oct. 3, 1-3 p.m.
  • Friday, Oct. 9, 1-3 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Oct. 13, 6-8 p.m.

In each two-hour session, there will be a brief introduction, with the rest of the time dedicated to public input. Chief of Police Anthony Cobb and police command staff, City Manager Dorothy David and elected city officials will be part of each session. 

Details about how to join each Zoom session will be posted here before they start. 

“The community is our best partner, and it’s important our neighbors have the opportunity to voice their thoughts and expectations around policing directly to the City to help guide our future work as public servants,” said Cobb. “This is unquestionably an important time in our country and identifying a path forward we can all be proud of begins with listening, learning, and working together. We are committed to growing and strengthening the bonds of trust between law enforcement and our community through empathy, mutual understanding, and education. To help in this endeavor, we hope to hear from many in our community during the listening sessions.”

After the five sessions are over, Champaign leaders plan to invite the community to be part in more in-depth discussions about the future of public safety with what they're calling "smaller, more conversational" study circles. More details about those study circles, including how to register, will be announced in coming weeks. 

The city plans to share results of the listening sessions and study circles with the Champaign City Council and the public in a written report. The city council will discuss the topic at a future study session, at which time there can be more community input on the future of Champaign policing.