The City of Norman Police Department is inviting everyone to attend a Public Forum on the future of Community Oriented Policing (COP) in Norman.

The forum will be 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Sarkeys Foundation, 530 E. Main St.

In May of 2008 Norman residents approved a temporary increase in the City sales tax to be used in part to staff additional police personnel which in turn will allow COP to be reinstated in the community. In order to be successful, the COP mission and goals must be redefined to meet the current needs of the community.

COP is a policing strategy based on the concept that Norman police officers and Norman citizens work together in creative ways to help solve contemporary community problems related to public safety including crime, fear of crime, social and physical disorder, and neighborhood decay. With the guidance of the Citizen's Public Safety Oversight Committee, the Police Department has been working to establish a COP framework for Norman. The City desires citizen input to move forward with this program and are asking residents to be a part of the process.

"This is an excellent opportunity for citizens to provide input on how they would like to see the Police Department create effective partnerships, especially in our neighborhoods," Police Chief Phil Cotten said.

For further information, call Lt. David Teuscher at 366-5249.