Northglenn finalized its police advisory group of citizens, while nearby Thornton is close to doing the same.

After a month-long application process that received a high level of interest, members of the 13-person board in Northglenn introduced themselves at a Feb. 22 city council meeting. More than 50 people applied, said Councilman Antonio Esquibel.

Residents on the board are Nicholas Walker, David Farley, Christina Sharkady, Shannon Lukeman-Hiromasa, Gerald Montour and Terri Thompson. The youth-at-large member is Abhiyan Barailee. There are also three community safety members, Mathew O’Leary, Justin Lauck and Paul Gesi. Then, there are three community service provider members, Clay Cunningham of Community Reach Center, Kelli Lewis from SCL Health and Ihsan Riahi, outreach director for the Metropolitan Denver North Islamic Center.

“I love Northglenn even more because of this proactive stance that you guys have taken in creating this board,” said Lukeman-Hiromasa at the council meeting. “I really appreciate the willingness of the police department and the city council to allow voices to be heard that haven’t been in this conversation before,” Thompson said.

The City Council began discussing the idea last year after a consultant audited the Northglenn Police Department and provided recommendations in a 391-page report. At the same time, there were nationwide protests against police brutality. The group will offer input on the department’s strategic plan and policies.

Meanwhile, the Thornton Police Department is forming its own policy & community team (PaCT). Slightly different than Northglenn’s board, PaCT will be comprised of seven residents selected from each police district. Like Northglenn, members will provide input on policy, training and long-term strategies.

“The foundations of community policing in Thornton are effective communication, relationships based on trust, and collaborative problem-solving,” said Thornton Police Chief Terrence Gordon in a community statement.

PaCT is currently accepting applications at www.gocot.net/tpdpact. The police district map can be viewed at www.gocot.net/policedistricts.