Police Chief R.T. Finney presented the Champaign Police Department’s “response plan” to the city council Tuesday, a list of procedural changes resulting from a series of dialogues between citizens and police from September to November 2005.

The plan covers three areas of concern – traffic, juveniles and community policing – and a collection of issues resulting from each. Traffic concerns were the most significant part of the plan for college students, as Finney said police would expand and reorganize their current traffic enforcement operations.

A report prepared by Assistant to the Chief for Community Relations Joan Walls and reviewed by Finney said police would focus on school zones, accident producing intersections, DUI enforcement and pedestrian safety on campus.

The main community issues listed in the report included making traffic stops more consistent in all neighborhoods throughout Champaign, making officers more visible in neighborhoods and allowing citizens to remain anonymous when reporting a crime, but no specific plan was detailed to achieve those goals.

Finney said a subcommittee made up of personnel from the police department, the police union, the Chief’s Citizen Advisory Committee, the Police Community Relations Group and community representatives was reviewing the police complaint process and would make recommendations to improve the handling of citizen complaints.

“Most importantly, in my opinion, the community dialogues will continue,” Finney said.

He also addressed programs aimed at juveniles that would have police work with youths who have committed a crime and would station an officer permanently at area schools.

Councilwoman Marci Dodds praised the department’s efforts.

“I was impressed with the plan – not only what changes you’ve made, but also what it means for the future of community relations,” she said.

Finney gave his presentation to a sparse council, as Councilmen Ken Pirok and Vic McIntosh and Councilwoman Kathy Ennen were not in attendance. Before the report, the council engaged in a public information session on the March 21 township disconnection referenda.

Under the referenda, residents of Champaign Township will vote on whether 800 properties annexed into the City of Champaign in the past year should remain in Champaign Township or become part of the entirely separate City of Champaign Township.

Champaign Township initiated the referenda to keep receiving taxes from the annexed neighborhoods.

The impact for residents would come in the form of taxes; in Champaign Township, the owner of a $330,000 house would pay $285 more in taxes than in the City of Champaign Township.