Rapid City Police Community Advisory Committee Begins Work

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A group aimed at maintaining a good working relationship between Rapid City police and the community has begun its work.

The 15-member Community Advisory Committee met for the first time in late January. Officials say the goal is to improve relations and to prioritize policing strategies in the city.

The group began as the Cultural Advisory Committee. Police announced its formation last summer to improve cultural understanding between law enforcement and the community.

Police say the group's title was changed "to reflect its unified efforts as a committee for positive change in Rapid City."

Officials say the committee is a voice for all cultures and races but that a focus is on ensuring the Native American culture is adequately represented. More than half the group's members are American Indian.

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