Will change come to Lowell High?
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WHEN LOWELL resident Bobby Tugbiyele saw the press release from the Lowell Police Department last week, one idea looked familiar.
Last week, Police Superintendent Kelly Richardson announced his intention to create a Citizens Advisory Committee made up of a diverse group of Lowell residents. The committee is meant to allow the community to provide feedback on the department and highlight areas for improvement.
“The introduction of a Citizens Advisory Committee will bring more voices to the table and will enhance our ability to be responsive to the needs of Lowell residents,” he said.
An ordinance formally creating the committee will be on the City Council agenda this Tuesday.
Two years ago — during the very process where Richardson landed the department’s top job — 125 residents signed onto a petition titled “Let us Meet The Finalist(s) For Lowell Police Chief.”
At the 2018 City Council meeting where it was presented, Tugbiyele said the city should create a citizens advisory committee to offer input on the selection process. The idea was shot down, he said.
City Manager Eileen Donoghue said she spent much of that search period reaching out to the community for input, upending a typically more internal process. At the 2018 meeting she highlighted these efforts, including holding a forum/listening session early in the process and outreach to community groups.
“I went to great lengths to hear from the community,” she said.
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