Agency assessing Charleston Police Department asks for community feedback

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The 2019 Charleston Police Department Racial Bias Audit is wrapping up, but before it comes to an end, their final step is getting a third-party agency to check on the work they’ve been doing to improve the department.

That agency is hosting their first community engagement session Saturday morning. They said they encourage everyone to attend to share their experiences with the police in Charleston.

Bob Khale with Khale Strategic Insights said Saturday’s session runs from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Bees Landing Recreation Center.

He said people will get the opportunity to talk about their experiences and encounters with the police department, and whether they’ve experienced racial bias themselves.

Anyone attending can expect both small table and large group discussions, word association exercises, and questions like “do you feel the Charleston Police Department is moving in the right direction?”

He said the agency’s job is to answer the question of whether the police department did what the audit told them to do, and a huge part of that is getting community feedback.

“We think it’s really important that we give the community a time where they can speak freely without any concerns of retribution,” Khale said. “We’re independent, we are the voice between the two groups here, the police and the community, and that’s why they should show up.”

There will be a second session May 25 at 5:30 p.m. at Charleston’s Main Library at 68 Calhoun St.

Khale said they will also be hosting a session for Spanish speakers sometime in June.

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