Bemidji Police Advisory Board Gives 1st Report to City Council

Bemidji’s Police Advisory Board gave their first annual report to the city council at Tuesday night’s meeting. Two members shared their experiences of not only being on the board, but of spending time with law enforcement and taking eight-hour ride-alongs.

They also spoke about community outreach initiatives like Community Connections and the National Night Out. But one obstacle they run into with these efforts is a lack of funding.

“So it’s not just only about building relationships from a law enforcement standpoint, but it also is about education for our community and with the resources available to community members,” said Police Advisory Board Member Andrea Kent.

The city council took no formal action at the meeting. They plan to discuss possibly providing funds to the board at their July 3 meeting.