The Valdosta Police Department is hosting the first Community Forum of 2018 on Thursday, Jan.  25,  from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Trinity Presbyterian Church located, at 3501 Bemiss Road in Valdosta. All community members and leaders in South Georgia are invited.

The department started the quarterly forums in 2013 with the local civil rights groups to include the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 2014, the forums were expanded to all members of the public to include members of civil rights groups. The purpose of the forums are multi-faceted:

Discuss any concerns the community may have with the Valdosta Police Department;

Discuss concerns regarding the issues in the United States between law enforcement and the community to include recent incidents;

Discuss crime issues in Valdosta to include crime prevention efforts;

To provide the community with better access to the Chief of Police and his command staff; and

To share ideas with the department in areas to include police/community relations and crime prevention.

The Chief will also discuss where the department stands in areas to include citizen complaints, use of force, vehicle pursuits, crime/traffic enforcement, and the current status of crime in Valdosta.