By STEVEN CALHOUN/Staff Writer

Captain Neil Fetner of the Clanton Police Department has been selected to participate in the President’s 21st Century Community Policing Summit on Sept. 28 at the White House.

On Dec. 18, 2014, President Barrack Obama established the Task Force on 21st Century Policing in response to apparent rifts between law enforcement and their communities. According to the summary of the task force’s findings, the group was charged with “identifying best practices and offering recommendations on how policing practices can promote effective crime reduction while building public trust.”

Earlier this year, the White House began hosting a series of briefings on the findings of the task force. Fetner has been invited to a summit presenting the findings, where he will receive updates on such topics as implicit bias, officer safety, wellness, and the use of social media to improve public trust within the community.

“It’s not every day that you receive an invitation from the White House. I am honored to have the opportunity to represent law enforcement on these sensitive issues,” said Fetner.

He said he put his name up for consideration, not really thinking he would be selected. Now he is excited to go and learn something he can bring back to the CPD to continue improving the city.

Fetner brought the news before the Clanton City Council on Sept. 13, and they agreed to allow him to take a company car and pay for his time and incidental expenses. He said he would be staying with family in the area to save the city money.

To learn more about the task force, go to cops.usdoj.gov/policingtaskforce. For information about the Clanton Police Department, visit its Facebook page or go to clantonpd.org.