Huntsville Police Citizens Advisory Council
VISION
HPCAC is a bridge connecting police and the community.
MISSION
To promote trust between the community and the Huntsville Police Department through education and thoughtful dialogue that drives continuous improvement of public safety for all citizens.
The Huntsville Police Citizens Advisory Council (HPCAC) serves to promote productive police and community interaction and foster mutual trust by assisting the police in achieving a greater understanding of the complex social fabric of the community. The HPCAC brings a citizen’s perspective on the policies and procedures of law enforcement and helps advise on a variety of topics including diversity, recruitment, training and discipline.
The HPCAC holds public meetings with the community and police throughout the year where the public can discuss issues directly with the officers who serve them. The advisory council is comprised of a diverse mix of community leaders whose primary objective is to improve the relationship between the community and the police department. The 13-member Huntsville Police Citizens Advisory Council (HPCAC) was created in 2010 and its roles and membership were amended in 2023 (Ordinance No. 23-944).
Core Tasks
- Advise the HPD Chief & Command Staff leadership on changes to policy, recruitment & hiring, and best practices
- Facilitate dialogue and trust with the community through public meetings and community outreach (i.e. attend/speak at a wide variety of venues)
- Provide two HPCAC members to all Incident Review Boards (IRBs)
- Support the Internal Affairs process for citizen complaints
- Participate in the HPD Strategic Plan review
- Participate in the HPD Annual Report review
- Review a quarterly summary of IA complaints to identify trends, patterns or areas of concern that need to be addressed
- Promote & participate in the HPD ride-along program
- Attend HPD education seminars to become more knowledgeable on policing practices (i.e. How & Why police do what they do)
CALENDAR
The HPCAC will hold four public education events throughout the year. Check the calendar on this webpage for the next event.
HOW WE’RE STRUCTURED
HPCAC functions as a 13-member advisory board. Three members are appointed by the Mayor and 10 members are appointed by the City Council. Each City Council Member appoints two seats. Members must be citizens of Huntsville and pass a background check. No member shall have any pending criminal charges or convictions for crimes within the last 10 years.
MEMBERS
Place 1: Edwin Nunez – Mayoral Appointee
Place 2: Ryan O’Connor – Mayoral Appointee
Place 3: Bekah Schmidt – Mayoral Appointee
Place 4: Willie Love – District 1 Appointee
Place 5: NiCarla Friend – District 1 Appointee
Place 6: Akeem Davis- District 2 Appointee
Place 7: Jonathan Rossow – District 2 Appointee
Place 8: Vicki Guerreri – District 3 Appointee
Place 9: Missy Hanks – District 3 Appointee
Place 10: Pamela Caruso – District 4 Appointee
Place 11: Cherie Miller – District 4 Appointee
Place 12: Wiley Day Jr. – District 5 Appointee
Place 13: Brian Webb – District 5 Appointee
- January 11 – District 1
- March 8 – District 2
- April 12 – District 3
- June 14 – District 4
- July 12 – District 5
- August 9
- October 22
- Join us at the HPCAC information booth at the HPD Halloween Party and Haunted House, The Orion Amphitheater
- November 14
City Council Reporting Sessions 2022
- February 24
- June 9
- August 25
- November 14
July 7, 2022
Staying ahead of organized crime and drugs
March 1, 2022
HPCAC to host public forum on Internal Affairs, March 8
January 5, 2022
HPCAC to host public forum on police recruitment, Jan. 11
Dec. 16, 2021 HPCAC presents 2022 Community Engagement Plan to Mayor, City Council