Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Cleveland Spruill is holding the final Police Community Engagement Forums this evening. The chief has held forums in each of the county’s commission districts. Chief Spruill says it’s essential that members of the police department and members of the community work together to make their surroundings better.
“The most valuable tool that we could have is the eyes and ears of the community," according to Spruill. “We want their involvement in helping us to understand why crime is occurring and building strategies to try to address crime and quality of life issues.”
Athens-Clarke residents will have a chance to Meet the Chief Thursday evening from 6 to 7:30 pm at Suburban Resort in Danielsville. Spruill says the gatherings allow for communication between the department and residents, something he considers a priority.
“So it’s important for me to get out into the community. I want to share my vision for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department with the community, but more importantly, I want to hear from the community what their thoughts, concerns and ideas are; and how they feel we can partner together to try to make things better.”
Chief Spruill began holding the forums in March. The Johns Hopkins University graduate took over the department on February 4th. He previously served as police chief of Huntersville, North Carolina from May 2014 to January 2019.
