HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CPB-2012-06-28ITHACA COMMUNITY POLICE BOARD MEETING MINUTES
LOCATION: Third Floor, Common Council Chambers, City Hall, 108 East Green Street
TIME/DATE: June 28, 2012 @ 3:30 pm
PRESENT: Commissioner Rogers; Alderperson Kerslick; IPD Chief Vallely; Staff: Herden
ABSENT /EXCUSED: Commissioners Bush, Hang, and Kane
GUESTS: City Clerk Julie Holcomb; Cindie Day (City Clerk's Office)
Chairperson Rogers called the meeting to order at 3:35 pm.
1. Approval of Minutes of Meeting of May 24, 2012
The minutes were approved.
2. Comments from the Public
Holcomb and Day joined today's meeting, as the Ithaca City Clerk's Office has offered to take over the
administrative support functions for the Ithaca Community Police Board.
Holcomb discussed community outreach opportunities the City offers. Among them are a new City of Ithaca
Facebook page, the IPD and CPB's own pages at the City website, the City newsletter, and an upcoming City
news channel. Reports about IPD accomplishments can be posted to the site (for example, "Congratulations
to the IPD for getting xxx pounds of drugs out of our community! ")
3. Report from Common Council
A meeting with CPB Co- Chairs Rogers and Kane, Alderperson Kerslick, Mayor Myrick, Chief Vallely, City
Clerk Holcomb, GIAC Director Forte, and CPB Staff Herden will be held on Monday, July 9, at 11:30. The
purpose of this meeting is to determine how the administrative functions for the Board will be handled after
Herden's departure. There are no plans at present to hire another staff person to provide administrative
support to the CPB.
Kerslick noted that the most important focus for the CBP will be on staffing commissioners and getting the
Board at its full complement.
Rogers expressed concern about public access to the Board, that it retain a separate phone number and
email account, which will be frequently monitored.
Holcomb mentioned that this transitional period represents a prime opportunity for revisioning of the CPB and
its duties. With new members anticipated coming aboard shortly, the CBP can see if it is working within City
Charter parameters and determine if it is meeting the current needs of the community.
Kerslick spoke about the upcoming City budget cuts. These will have an impact on public services. What type
of impact remains to be seen, as well as the public response to expected service reductions.
4. Report from Police Department
Vallely reports that although things have been fairly quiet, some crimes of violence have recently increased.
These tend to be ones related to drug sales, especially drug sale rip -offs.
With regard to the budget reduction mandate from City Hall, a 10% reduction for IPD translates into
$634,000, a figure IPD will struggle to reduce. Vallely announced that Ithaca was ranked the safest city by the
Farmers' Insurance Group. It ranked third when he took over as Chief. Vallely indicated it would be
challenging to maintain this status with budget constraints on top of the staffing reductions with which the
Department currently grapples. In 1996, there were 84 officers; now there are 69, although some of those are
out with disabilities, etc. DARE and other preventative measures are getting cut from the budget.
Crime statistics are on the IPD site and will get updated every month. The need to let the community know
where to find these statistics was brought up.
A discussion about head shops in Ithaca and the sale of legal synthetic drugs took place. Vallely reported that
an average of four patients are being seen daily at Cayuga Medical Center for issues related to the use of
"bath salts," a synthetic drug which can be sold legally. Currently, the only lab that tests synthetic drugs is in
Albany, making it difficult to speedily test drugs to determine their legality. Some groups have organized to
picket local shops that sell various synthetic drugs.
5. Report from Staff
Herden discussed tasks to be done prior to her leaving.
6. Old Business
In addition to completing the standard City Committee application form, applicants seeking to be
commissioners on the CPB will now need to complete a second page which describes a background check
process. This second page will go out under the Mayor's signature.
7. New Business
Thanks were offered to Herden for her support to the Board during her tenure as executive assistant.
8. Adjournment to Executive Session @ 4:26 pm
Move to executive session to discuss open complaints then return to public session and adjourn.
Three complaints were briefly discussed.
#0212 (Rogers) was carried over for continued work on the investigation process.
#0312 (Rogers) was carried over due to insufficient commissioners present to review findings of
investigation. [Subsequently reviewed by available commissioners, concluding with support for
Commissioner Rogers' findings: There was no evidence of wrongdoing on the parts of the
officer named or the Ithaca Police Department.The CPB does not recommend fulfilling
complainant's request.]
#0412 (Kane) was carried over.
No new citizen letters of compliment or complaint were received by the Ithaca Community Police Board
between the May and June board meetings