Police Chief’s Advisory Council
The Police Chief’s Advisory Council advises the chief of police and the Police Department by sharing ideas and concerns from people in the community.
The Police Chief’s Advisory Council helps build strong connections between the Bend community and the Police Department by focusing on three key goals:
- Sharing Feedback from the Community’s Perspective
Council members provide ideas and input to the Police Chief and Department on a range of topics, including police policies, budgeting, officer recruitment and retention, training practices, and community involvement. They also help identify concerns early and work with police leadership to find effective responses that reflect community expectations for safety. - Supporting Two-Way Communication
The Police Department shares updates and information with the council, which in turn helps communicate that information to Bend residents. Council members also bring questions, concerns, and suggestions from the community back to the Department, helping ensure transparency and responsiveness. - Building Trust and Strengthening Relationships
The council works to foster trust between the community and the officers who serve it. By encouraging participation in police programs, planning joint events, and promoting open and honest dialogue, the council helps ensure that all community members feel respected, safe, and understood.
Council members represent the diverse voices of Bend and act as a bridge between the Police Department and the people it serves.
Background
Bend community members have long benefited from having meaningful relationships with the Bend Police Department employees who serve them. The Bend Police Department is dedicated to building and strengthening these relationships with everyone in the community.
One way the Department has done this is through the Police Chief’s Advisory Council. This group has helped the police stay connected with the community for more than 20 years. Since 2004, the council has taken different forms, but its purpose has stayed the same—bringing people and police together.
The City Council has set goals to improve safety, health, fairness, and justice in Bend. As part of these goals, the council decided to update the Police Chief’s Advisory Council. The updated version focuses on ensuring the community is well represented, there is open and honest communication, and that the public has a voice in how the Department operates.
Membership Selection, Expectations, and Terms
The Police Chief’s Advisory Council will include up to 20 community members who live within the city limits of Bend. The goal is to build a group that truly reflects the growing Bend community. Members will come from diverse backgrounds, jobs, neighborhoods, and life experiences. The Chief of Police will choose members who show integrity, care about the community, and are good at sharing information with others in their networks.
If you’re interested in joining, you’ll need to fill out an application and share some personal details for a basic volunteer background check. After reviewing applications, some people may be asked to do an interview before final decisions are made.
Application submissions are open annually, generally in the summer.
The Chief of Police will make the final choice on who joins the council.
Once selected, members are expected to:
- Go on at least one ride-along with a Bend Police Officer.
- Take part in the Department’s Community Academy when it’s available. This is a program that teaches how the Police Department works and may be held on a weeknight or weekend.
- Attend monthly meetings and be ready to talk openly and respectfully about community issues and building strong relationships.
- Treat advisory council members, City staff, and community members with kindness and respect.
- Observe some police training classes.
- Help plan the monthly meeting agenda with other council members.
- Help create a yearly plan for what the council wants to achieve.
- Agree to have their photo, contact info, and short bio posted on the Bend Police Department website so community members can reach out.
New members will serve for two years. Most people will only serve one two-year term, but the Chief of Police may invite someone to stay longer if needed. If a member leaves early, the Chief of Police may choose someone new to finish the term.
Having term limits helps bring in fresh ideas and gives more people a chance to be involved.
Members are expected to attend all monthly meetings. If someone misses three meetings in a year, they may be removed from the council. The Chief of Police can also remove a member for reasons like dishonesty, not meeting expectations, breaking council rules, being disrespectful, causing disruptions, or other reasons that make removal necessary.
All members must understand that they do not speak for the City of Bend or the Bend Police Department.
Meetings, Agenda, and Chairpersons
The Police Chief’s Advisory Council meets from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. every third Thursday of the month, unless the schedule changes.
These meetings are not open to the public. The council doesn’t make decisions for the Police Department—it’s a group that advises and shares ideas with Police Department staff.
Meeting agendas typically focus on topics the community wants to learn about and talk through—especially things that help build trust and improve communication between the police and the community.
The Police Department’s community relations manager is the main contact for council members. This person helps organize the council and supports its work as needed.
Changes and Leadership
These guidelines can be updated by the Chief of Police. Since this is an advisory group, the guidelines are meant to help keep things organized and consistent. They’re here to guide the council’s work, not to set strict rules.