Bloomington city leaders plan to move five police officer positions to social service positions within the department.

In a zoom call Thursday, they talked about actions the city will take for racial justice.

Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton says these efforts will also include a request that the Board of Public Safety form an advisory committee to study what public safety efforts should look like long-term.

Police Chief Mike Diekhoff says keeping the reallocated positions in the department is important, as it is one of the few departments operating 24 hours.

“We get called all the time," he says. "Unless we have 24-hour seven day a week that ability for someone to respond to deal with something then it still falls back to us.” 

[To read the rest of this article by BENTE BOUTHIER, click here.]

[Image: City Of Bloomington–Office Of The Mayor, Facebook]