Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CPB-2014-09-24CITY OF ITHACA COMMUNITY POLICE BOARD MINUTES Regular Meeting 3:30 p.m. September 24, 2014 Present: Co-Chairs: Kane, Rogers Commissioners (5) Brower, DaGrossa, LaPadula, Wright, Onyejuruwa OTHERS PRESENT: Common Council Liason – Kerslick Deputy Police Chief Townsend City Clerk Holcomb CALL TO ORDER: 3:30 p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: By Commissioner Wright: Seconded by Commissioner LaPadula RESOLVED, That the minutes of the July 23, 2014 Community Police Board meeting be approved as corrected by Commissioner DaGrossa. ADDITIONS TO OR DELETIONS FROM THE AGENDA: Co-Chair Kane requested the addition of a discussion item regarding Community Policing. No Commissioner objected. REPORT FROM COMMON COUNCIL: Common Council Liaison Kerslick distributed the Mayor’s Plan for Excellence in Policing. He reported that Item # 2 City Residency Requirement (for newly hired police officers) - was discussed at the September City Administration Committee meeting and was met with mixed reactions. He noted that a number of opinions were expressed regarding the potential effectiveness of the policy. The City Administration Committee decided to continue the discussion at their October 15, 2014, meeting which will be held at 5:00 p.m. in Common Council Chambers. Commissioner LaPadula expressed his opinion that if a residency requirement is instituted for police officers for the purpose of quick response times to emergency situations it should also be instituted for fire fighters and doctors. Council Liaison Kerslick explained that the City is not legally able to implement a residency requirement for fire fighters but it can be implemented for police officers. Commissioner DaGrossa noted that the proposed cameras in police vehicles would not have been effective in the August 9th incident involving a police officer and local youths as the officer responded in his personal vehicle. She asked who she could speak with further about this issue. Council Liaison Kerslick September 24, 2014 2 responded that she could speak with him as he has been assigned the task of further researching the effective use of cameras. Co-Chair Kane shared a document from the U.S. Department of Justice with Council Liaison Kerslick that outlines the parameters of the use of cameras. Co-Chair Rogers questioned if the Mayor’s Plan was a direct reaction to a particular incident. Alderperson Kerslick responded that many of the issues outlined in the Mayor’s Plan have been under discussion for a number of months and the timing of the release of the Plan was related more to the budget cycle than a particular incident. He noted that if some of these initiatives were going to be funded for 2015, they would need to be discussed now as Council is heading into budget deliberations in October. Deputy Police Chief Townsend noted that private funding was secured for the purchase of cameras prior to the August 9th incident. He stated that a few officers had requested permission to purchase and use cameras personally as a form of evidence. He further stated that policies need to be developed regarding the use of cameras (when they should be turned on, etc.) so that a consistent standard could be established. Further discussion followed on the floor regarding the capabilities of different camera systems and records management issues related to the storage, use, and access to video footage. Commissioner Onyejuruwa questioned how Item #3 Community Action Team - would work (would the officers be in uniform?). Council Liaison Kerslick responded that the initiative is still being explored at this point but the underlying premise is that they would be uniformed officers unless they were assigned to a undercover surveillance detail. He explained that Chief Barber made this proposal several months ago. Deputy Chief Townsend explained that the Community Action Team would give the Police Department the ability to take a proactive approach to problems in particular areas. He noted that two officers is a great start to providing the Department with a little flexibility to address specific issues. NEW BUSINESS: Co-Chair Kane distributed a document from the U.S. Department of Justice entitled “Community Policing Defined”. She stated that the underlying philosophy about community policing is the engagement of all sections of the community in collaborative partnerships. Effective community policing requires a dialog with all stakeholders. She suggested that this topic be carried forward on future agendas for further discussion. September 24, 2014 3 Discussion followed on the floor with Commissioners voicing their disappointment that the Mayor did not include or seek input from the Board in the development of his Plan for Excellence in Policing. Commissioner LaPadula asked if community policing was being practiced in other communities. Deputy Chief Townsend responded that not many departments are able to practice community policing locally due to budget constraints. He stated his belief that community policing works better as a departmental philosophy or fundamental value with specialists who can assist with implementation. He stated that the biggest obstacle to overcome at this point is staffing levels. He stated that the current call volume and staff levels do not allow officers to proactively address community issues. He reminded the Board that IPD had a specialized Community Police Unit from 1994 – 2000. The original unit was started through the use of grant funds but as budgets were reduced throughout the years, the department could not sustain the special unit. Commissioner DaGrossa asked if the DARE Program was still active. Deputy Chief Townsend affirmed that Officer Loretta Tomberelli currently runs the DARE Program at local schools. Co-Chair Rogers asked if the Mayor’s plan to increase staffing by 10% was enough for the department to implement community policing. Deputy Chief Townsend stated that the 10% increase would not bring the department back to minimum staffing levels. Until that is achieved, it will be very difficult to implement an effective community policing program. Co-Chair Rogers expressed his belief that the Community Police Board could do more than process compliments and investigate complaints; they can draft policies that would assist the Police Department. He expressed his disappointment that the Mayor did not ask for feedback in developing his Plan or the SWAT Grant funding controversy. He further stated his belief that the recent actions of the Mayor, community leaders, and the media coverage were dangerous. Co-Chair Kane noted that this is a diverse Board that believes strongly in positive police/community relations. She voiced her desire to develop a broader knowledge base on issues like community policing so they can be consulted more regularly. Further discussion followed regarding the confidentiality of investigations and the positive outcomes that have been realized as a result of improved relationships between the Board and individual police officers. Commissioner Onyejuruwa asked if Item #5 of the Plan, Opening a District Office on the West End – could include an office for the Community Police Board too. He stated that finding space to meet with complainants can be challenging at September 24, 2014 4 times and having dedicated office space would go a long way towards building positive relationships between the Board and the Police Department and would lend community credibility to the Board. Council Liaison Kerslick stated that they should report any hardships they are having regarding meeting spaces to the Mayor. He further voiced his belief that there are opportunities in the Mayor’s Plan for the Community Police Board to take a greater role in the development of some of the initiatives. MOTION TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS ACTIVE INVESTIGATIONS: By Commissioner Kane: Seconded by Commissioner Rogers RESOLVED, That the Community Police Board enter into Executive Session to discuss active investigations. Carried Unanimously RECONVENE: The Board reconvened into regular session with the following resolution. RESOLUTION: By Commissioner Kane: Seconded by Commissioner Brower RESOLVED, That case numbers 2014-06 and 2014-07 have been concluded. Carried Unanimously ADJOURNMENT: On a motion the meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted: Julie Conley Holcomb, City Clerk