Andrew Skier Named to Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed’s Transition Team
Andrew Skier, founder of Skier & Associates, is honored to have been named to incoming Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed’s Transition team. As a member of Mayor Reed’s “Public Safety & Thriving Neighborhoods” committee, Mr. Skier will be a part of the group advising Mayor Reed on issues related to police and public safety. Mayor Reed felt it was crucial to have a representative of the Criminal Defense Bar on this committee in order to obtain input related to the administration of justice in our community.
The charge of this committee is “to develop recommendations to transform the Montgomery Police Department and other relevant departments into modern, data-driven, high performing departments that will effectively engage citizens and secure a better quality of life.”
Mayor Reed said during his campaign that more resources need to be allocated to the Montgomery Police Department, to rectify what he has identified as “under-policing” in Montgomery. In addition, Mayor Reed is committed to the use of new technologies to make our city safer. As a long-time advocate for technology such as police body-cams, Mr. Skier is excited by the opportunity to have input into the use of technology by the Montgomery Police Department.
Beyond this, Mayor Reed has made it a priority to build a relationship of trust between the Police Department and the communities served by them. The importance of this aspect of policing, in Mr. Skier’s opinion, cannot be over-stated. It is crucial that community members feel that the Police Department is working on their behalf if we are going to have a truly effective department. Without trust and respect, the already difficult job faced by police becomes much tougher.
Mr. Skier is honored by the Mayor’s request that he serve in this important role, and pledges to be an active member of the committee, bringing the perspective of a lawyer who has served both as a prosecutor as well as representing those accused of committing criminal offenses. The committee will have a series of public hearings, and citizens are encouraged to make a note of these events and participate.