Chief's Advisory Council

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Since 2007, the Chief's Advisory Council (CAC) has served as a conduit for continued communication between the community and the Police Department. The CAC consists of volunteer members from a diverse cross-section of our community who meet on a regular basis to provide the Chief of Police and department leadership with community insight on a wide range of public safety topics and activities. As part of their work, the CAC may recommend and review policies, collaborate on projects to engage and educate the community, guide best practices and approaches, help identify barriers that exist between police and members of the community, and develop strategies to eliminate those barriers. As part of the Police Department’s key initiative of community engagement, Chief Penn is expanding the CAC membership to ensure the department remains effective and responsive to the needs of our community.

Members

Joseph Simonelli- Chair
Andrew Ferreira- Vice Chair
Marcy Burka
John Carten
Denis Dillon
Laura Fewer
Tiwiya Hughes
Linley Mancilla
Sharon McKenna
Joshua Sacks
Ashley Smith
Jacqueline Snelling
Dr. Alfred Taylor
Janeth Valenzuela
James Younger

Composition of the CAC

The CAC is advisory in nature and is comprised of voluntary members. All members live, work, attend school, or are otherwise affiliated or engaged with the Arlington community. The membership of the CAC is intended to reflect Arlington’s diverse community to allow for a wide range of lived experiences, professions, perceptions, organizational memberships, interests, geographical connections, racial and ethnic diversity, gender diversity, and expertise. Additionally, members are selected based on their integrity, commitment to the community, and their ability to act as a communication conduit within their community networks as demonstrated within their application.

The Chief of Police selects and appoints the members of the CAC. Each member serves for a minimum of two years and no longer than four years to allow for greater participation by all interested parties. The Chief of Police reserves the right to expand or decrease CAC membership to best meet the goals of the organization.

The CAC meets on the first Tuesday of each month, excluding August and December. Meetings take place from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the Arlington County Courthouse located at 1425 N. Courthouse Road.

Member Expectations

Attend scheduled CAC meetings once per month (excluding August and December) and be prepared to engage in an honest and purposeful dialogue focused on community problem-solving and learning, education, and building relationships.
Members who fail to attend three regular Council meetings in a calendar year may be considered to have vacated their position and may be replaced.

Members must agree to have their name and photograph (taken by the Police Department) published by the Police Department.
Complete at least one ride-along within the first 6 months of service.
Attend at least one community engagement event within the first year of service. Examples include, but are not limited to, National Night Out, the Public Safety Block Party, Coffee with a Cop and Donation Drives.