To promote open communications with members of the public, the Police Commission has scheduled a special meeting for later this month at which the only topic on the agenda will be “open public dialogue.”

That session is slated for 7 pm on Monday, October 26, in the lower level conference room at Town Hall South, 3 Main Street (Route 25).

The Police Commission, which also serves as the local traffic authority, has regular monthly meetings at 6:30 pm on the first Tuesday of each month at the same location. At those sessions, the agency has two formal “public participation” comment periods, one at the start of the meeting and one at the end of the session.

Police Commission Chairman Paul Mangiafico, in recently proposing the October 26 session to the five-member commission, stressed that such a special meeting would seek to foster open communications between the agency and the public.

The Police Commission is the local traffic authority and as such, much of the panel’s business at its meetings focuses on local traffic issues. Often, residents of various neighborhoods attend the session to make their traffic-related concerns known and to seek help from the agency in solving problems.

Such problems often involve motorists who are breaking motor vehicle laws, most commonly violating posted speed limits. As a result of such concerns, the commission has had traffic-calming “speed tables” installed on Queen Street and on Key Rock Road.

Also, the commission makes recommendations to the state Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over the installation of traffic signals and speed limit signage.

In its law enforcement role, the Police Commission creates and implements regulations for the 45-member police department. The agency appoints, promotes, suspends, and removes police department members, as needed.

Mr Mangiafico, a Republican, is not seeking reelection to another four-year term in the November 3 municipal elections, He has served as the panel’s chairman since taking office in December 2011.

The other commission members are Republicans Brian Budd and Virgil Procaccini, Jr, as well as Democrats Joel Faxon and Andrew Sachs.

When Mr Mangiafico proposed the open dialogue session to Police Commission members in August, he recommended that such meetings be held three or four times a year to foster good communications.

“No subject would be off limits, as long as it is one that board has responsibility for, or jurisdiction over,” according to Mr Mangiafico.

Mr Budd, who has endorsed the open dialogue concept, has said he believes that holding such a special session is unnecessary because the commission regularly addresses the public’s concerns which are raised at regular commission meetings.

Mr Faxon said October 6 that he considers the commission to be “very open” in terms of the way that it interacts with the public at its regular meetings.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe has termed the special meetings recommended by the chairman “a good idea,” adding that the commission could hold such a special session to learn of its effectiveness.