HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CPB 2019-09-25CITY OF ITHACA
COMMUNITY POLICE BOARD MINUTES
Regular Meeting 3:30 p.m. September 25, 2019
Present:
Chair: Kane
Commissioners (6) Beem-Miller, Rogers, Wright, Simons, Korthuis
Youth Commissioner: Logue
Others Present:
IPD Acting Chief - Nayor
Common Council Liaison - Kerslick
Public Information Specialist - Faraday
Excused:
Onyejuruwa
Absent:
Call to Order: 3:30p.m.
Approval of the August 28, 2019 Community Police Board Meeting Minutes-
Resolution:
By Commissioner Rogers: Seconded by Commissioner Simons
RESOLVED, That the minutes of the August 28, 2019 Community Police Board meeting
be approved as published.
Carried Unanimously
Report from Common Council:
Alderperson Kerslick reported that the Community Outreach Worker, Tammy Baker is
training a new employee. Baker is spending most of her time connecting people with
services.
Kerslick offered congratulations to Acting Chief Nayor on his impending appointment as
the Chief of the Ithaca Police Department, pending Council approval, his swearing in
would be at 11am on Friday, September 27th. The Community Police Board is welcome
to attend the Common Council meeting where they will be voting on this appointment.
He stated that there is also a discussion about police staffing at this evening’s Common
Council meeting, as well as a discussion about Special Events
The Commissioners asked questions about the Community Outreach Worker’s scope of
work and the nature of the calls she places. They also asked if there are ways in which
the CPB can assist, if so Kerslick will inform the Board.
Report from the Police Department:
Acting Chief Nayor shared notice of thanks directed towards members of the Ithaca
Police Department. The IPD awards committee received a submission for the officers
who responded to the two calls in the inlet. He shared that IPD is working on building a
victim services area within the department. The Community Service Officers will be
using a satellite office on the Commons and their former space will be repurposed for
victim services containing couches, lounge space, toys, etc.
Nayor also shared that he was made aware of a mother who lost her son to addiction.
She brought up ways to improve how to help someone who just lost somebody, he is
working with 911 to create a list of contacts, and available mental counselors.
An IPD recruit is presently in field training and will be out November 1st, another recruit
is in Syracuse. Police forces across the country are experiencing their lowest
recruitment in national history. IPD presently has a shortage of 26% percent and are
down: 1 Deputy Chief, 1 Seargent, and 5 Officers, additionally they have 1 on leave of
absence, 1 on an administrative leave, 5 on long term disability, and 2 short term
disability.
Events are affected by this shortage as well, assembly permits, mass gatherings, and
festivals occur with no one to provide police services. IPD contract doesn’t allow this
work to be ordered.
Nayor shared that two civilian records personnel are going to customer service training.
Also shared- Sgt Tomberelli has been invited by leadership Tompkins to be part of the
next class. Nayor was at the Rescue Mission/ St John’s center ribbon cutting.
Youth Commissioner Logue shared some ideas about involving Ithaca High School in
informal training with police. Nayor will put Logue in touch with Sgt. Necheporek. Logue
also suggested a presentation about Policing and Social Justice during High School
Social Justice week.
Report from Staff:
Updated contact list of board member’s email addresses will be provide d at next
meeting.
New Business:
Review of Complaint Distribution Policies and Procedures- Chair Kane reviewed
the chain of events that occurs after a complaint is received: Complaint is received by
IPD and/ or the City Clerk’s Office, PIS Faraday reviews complaint, which must be
signed by complainant. The complaint goes to Chair Kane, a conversation between the
Chair and the Staff person for CPB takes place, next an email goes to Kate Turecek at
IPD, which is copied to the Chief of IPD, asking for relevant reports. This process takes
about 2 days. Next, reports go to Chair Kane from the Chief’s Office, innocent person’s
names are redacted. The case then gets assigned to two Board members, rotating
through who is involved in the investigations. Those assigned meet to discuss a plan of
action and work together to contact those parties involved. Next, they draft a report,
present it in executive session to CPB for discussion, the board contributes to the
determination. The voted upon final draft of the report gets written up with the CPB
header by PIS Faraday, then goes to Mayor and the person who made the initial
complaint.
New Business for next meeting: Discussion on Youth Commissioner scope of work/
detail; Chair Kane will be asking City Attorney Lavine and Clerk Conley-Holcomb for
input on the matter.
MOTION TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS ACTIVE
INVESTIGATIONS:
2019-2
Final Draft of Report for 2019-2 was passed on a motion
ADJOURNMENT:
On a motion the meeting adjourned at 5:04 p.m.
Respectfully submitted:
Melody Faraday, Public Information Specialist
For the City Clerk’s Office