Feedback Requested On Fredericksburg's Handling Of Protests

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — The Police Executive Research Forum, a consulting firm hired by the city of Fredericksburg, is soliciting feedback from Fredericksburg residents on the protests that occurred in the area between May 31 and June 2.

Residents are welcome to share any thoughts, perceptions, eyewitness accounts and general impressions of the Black Lives Matter protests that occurred in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the Fredericksburg Police Department's response to the demonstrations, the city said Monday.

The Police Executive Research Forum, or PERF, is reviewing the city’s response to the demonstrations between May 31 and June 2. The research team visited Fredericksburg Aug. 24-27 to conduct a series of meetings and focus groups with members of the community to get a sense of the public perceptions of these events.

PERF researchers, based in Washington, D.C., would like to continue to receive feedback from community stakeholders, the city said. All comments should be sent to Fredericksburg@policeforum.org by Sept. 30.

PERF’s scope of work is outlined in a public document presented during a Fredericksburg City Council meeting held on July 14. The review is expected to take six to eight months. The work is being handled by a six-member team PERF specially selected for Fredericksburg that includes two law enforcement professionals, including a certified training expert, and four civilian members specializing in criminology, use of force, research, data analysis and public policy.

Cynthia E. Hudson, a Richmond attorney who is the chair of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s Commission to Examine Racial Inequity in Virginia Law and former Virginia chief deputy attorney general, assisted the city in identifying PERF to review the city's response to the protests.

Protesters have expressed concerns with the city's decision to hire PERF to conduct a third-party review of the protests and police activities. PERF has close relationships with police departments across the country. Some have called on the city to add Christy Lopez, a law professor at Georgetown University and a former top official in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, to the independent review of the city's police department.

RELATED:

• Black Lives Matter Supporters March In Downtown Fredericksburg
• Virginia Lawmakers Push For Police Review Boards With 'Teeth'
• Fredericksburg Hires Consultant To Review City Police Practices
• Fredericksburg Police Accepting Applications For Citizens Panel