A city council candidate forum focused on law enforcement is scheduled for this evening in Chico, but at least one candidate is boycotting the event.
Activists organizing the candidate forum say their aim is to improve relationships between police and the community.
The group, Concerned Citizens for Justice, was formed in the wake of the fatal officer-involved shootings of Desmond Phillips, Tyler Rushing, and Breanne Sharpe.
Organizers say candidates will be able to present their positions on law enforcement in Chico. As in other cities, these include department priorities, budgets, response times, procedures and training, use of force, real and perceived crime trends, transients and racial profiling.
But not all council hopefuls will attend. In a public Facebook post, Kasey Reynolds announced she’s skipping the forum, accusing organizers of anti-police bias and dismissing it as a distraction, writing: “I reject the underlying message that law enforcement in our community is guilty of some sort of wrongdoing.”
Emily Alma, who is coordinating the forum, said Councilman Andrew Coolidge and candidate Matt Gallaway told her they won’t attend due to scheduling conflicts.
The forum is scheduled to begin Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Butte County Public Library’s Chico Branch, located at 1108 Sherman Avenue.