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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CPB-2015-05-27CITY OF ITHACA COMMUNITY POLICE BOARD MINUTES Regular Meeting 3:30 p.m. May 27, 2015 Present: Co-Chairs: Kane, Rogers Commissioners (5) Brower, DaGrossa, LaPadula, Wright, Onyejuruwa Youth Commissioner: Hause OTHERS PRESENT: Common Council Liaison – Kerslick Police Chief Barber Information Management Specialist Day City Attorney Lavine Youth Program Leader Schreiber Acting Deputy Police Chief Monticello CALL TO ORDER: 3:30 p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE April 22, 2015 MEETING: By Commissioner Brower: Seconded by Commissioner Rogers RESOLVED, That the minutes of the April 22, 2015 Community Police Board meeting be approved as published. Carried Unanimously COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC: Cris McConkey, Town of Enfield, expressed three concerns he has regarding the use of body cameras by law enforcement officers:  Access to the video footage gives an advantage to the police.  Who sets the fees for discovery – are they the same for everyone?  Will videos be redacted/should they be if they’re meant to improve transparency? Jamie Hendrix, Village of Trumansburg, thanked Chief Barber for his efforts regarding open communication with the community and noted that she would like to see that dialogue continued. She further stated that she knows it took time for the City Attorney to develop the policy on body cameras, and asked that the public also be given time to read and understand the policy before it becomes effective. Helen Helfer, Brooktondale, explained that even though people express concerns about open communications with the police does not mean that they are anti- police. She noted that she would like to see continued respectable and open dialogue between police and the community as she and others want to feel safe. She voiced her support for the use of body cameras. Presentation on Community and Police Relations Survey Results: (Youth Council) Casper Molina and Duncan Patwell of the Ithaca Youth Council gave a presentation on a survey that was given to the 9th – 12th graders at Ithaca High School. The survey was entitled “Relations between the IPD and the Ithaca Youth” and was grouped by grade and race. The following questions were asked:  Do you think your ethnicity is a factor with your interactions with the Ithaca Police Department?  How comfortable would you feel asking a police officer for assistance?  How safe do you feel when you see an Ithaca Police Department Officer?  In the last six months have you heard of an incident between youths and the Ithaca Police Department? If so, how many?  Do you think the Ithaca Police Department is equally protecting the Ithaca youth population?  Do you think the IPD Officers use their power appropriately? If you answered no, do you think IPD Officers used too much or too little of their power? Marty Schrieber, Youth Council Program Leader, noted that the Youth Council Seniors have been working on this project and he also plans to ask the incoming Youth Council members if they would like to continue working on this topic. This presentation will also be given at the next Common Council meeting. Chief Barber commented that the results of the survey re-enforces the need for an IPD Resource Officer to be present at the school to better connect with local youth. Presentation Regarding the Rollout of the City’s Body Camera Program: (City Attorney Lavine and Ithaca Police Chief Barber) City Attorney Lavine and Police Chief Barber gave a presentation on the body camera initiative that the Ithaca Police Department will be implementing later this summer. This initiative is a joint effort with the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office and as such a more favorable purchasing agreement has been negotiated. The camera will be worn on the front of the uniform in order to facilitate easy access to turn it on and off. It has a 30 second pre-record video loop that is available once the camera is activated. At the end of a shift, the camera will be put into the docking station to recharge the battery and upload all videos to the archiving system. Videos will be retained in accordance with the New York State Records Retention Schedule based on the nature of the offense. Videos are subject to FOIL requests and may redacted pursuant to applicable laws as other city records are. The Police Chief has developed a General Order regarding the use of body cameras by police officers. The General Order covers topics such as:  Assignment of cameras  Maintenance of cameras  Activation of recording  Duration of recording  Maintenance of and access to videos  Training This presentation will be given at the next Common Council meeting. Presentation – Performing Arts for Social Change Entitled “Trust” (PASC) – (Commissioners DaGrossa and Onyejuruwa) Commissioner DaGrossa and Commissioner Onyejuruwa reported that they attended the Performing Arts for Social Change event entitled “Trust”. They noted that there were questions from the audience at the end of the performance that Chief Barber responded to. New Business: Commissioner Kane reported that Commissioner Brower has submitted a letter of resignation as he is retiring and relocating to another community. Acting Deputy Police Chief Vincent Monticello introduced himself noting that he has worked in law enforcement for the past 34 years and really enjoys his job. He is currently working on internal investigations. MOTION TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS ACTIVE INVESTIGATIONS: By Commissioner Rogers: Seconded by Commissioner DaGrossa RESOLVED, That the Community Police Board enter into Executive Session to discuss active investigations. Carried Unanimously RECONVENE: The Board reconvened into regular session with no formal action taken. ADJOURNMENT: On a motion, the meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted: Cindie L. Day Information Management Specialist