The citizens of Block Island voted to bring back the Police Advisory Commission at the March 2021 election, by changing the wording in the Town Charter referencing such a commission from “may” to “shall.” The previous police administration had asked the Town Council to disband the Police Advisory Commission, which the council did, as it was not required to have one (“may” vs. “shall” in legalese.) On Friday, July 30, the newly reconstituted group, made up of Molly O’Neill, Jim Hinthorn, Andy Transue, Caroline Collins, and John Spier, met for the first time and discussed the role of this revamped commission.
Hinthorn said the “end goal is to deliver the most professional and effective police services possible in the community.” He went on to tell Police Chief Matt Moynihan, “We want you to succeed, to be the best chief you can be.”
Moynihan thanked the group for volunteering their time to be on the commission, saying: “I welcome all your feedback; honest and open discussion is how a community can really thrive.” He went on to say, “Advisory commissions are very valuable.”
O’Neill presented some of the feedback she had received from the community on policing. “There are
