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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CA-2021-03-24CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 6:00 p.m. March 24, 2021 PRESENT: Alderperson Mohlenhoff – Chair Alderpersons (4): Gearhart, Kerslick, McGonigal, Nguyen Mayor – Myrick OTHERS PRESENT: Alderpersons (5) – Brock, Fleming, Lewis, Murtagh, Smith Police Chief – Nayor Deputy Police Chiefs – Monticello & Joly Tompkins County Administrator – Molino Police Lieutenants – Garin, Schwartz Police Sergeants – Condzella, Orsaio Police Officers – Williams GIAC Director – McBean-Clairborne Deputy GIAC Director – Brooks City Attorney – Lavine Fire Chief – Parsons Historic Pres & Nghbrhd Planner – McCracken Chief of Staff – Cogan HR Director – Michell-Nunn Controller – Thayer Reimagining of Public Safety Team – Gonzalez, Branca, Carrithers, Rivera, Eversley-Bradwell, Recckio 1. Call to Order 1.3 Agenda Review: Chairperson Mohlenhoff explained that this is an expanded City Administration Committee meeting, which is the reason for all Common Council members in attendance. Due to the number of people registered to speak, the amount of time they can speak has been reduced to two [2] minutes. 1.2 Review/Approval of Minutes: Alderperson Kerslick made a motion to approve the minutes from the February 24, 2021 meeting of the City Administration Committee. Seconded by Alderperson McGonigal. Motion carried unanimously. 1.3 Statements from the Public: E-mailed public comments will be attached to the minutes. The following individuals appeared, virtually, before the Committee and expressed concerns about language in the proposed resolution for the Reimagining Public Safety Plan: • Jake Young, IPD Lieutenant • John Barber, Retired IPD Police Chief • Vanessa Bentley, Town of Ithaca Resident • Loretta Tomberelli, IPD Sergeant City Administration Committee Meeting March 24, 2021 Page 2 • Alex Pape, IPD Officer • Tim Holland, IPD Officer • Ben Buck, IPD Officer • Matt Schweiger, IPD Officer • Matt Skeval, TC Deputy • Clark McCombe, East Long Island Resident w/ child at Cornell • Marshall McCormick, Ithaca Resident & BPW Member • Louis Civello, Suffolk County Resident • Chris Hyer, Ithaca Resident • Vivek Iyer, Ithaca Resident • Todd Bruer, IBEW Local Union 241 The following individuals appeared, virtually, before the Committee and expressed support for the proposed resolution or offered their services to work with the City on the Reimagining Public Safety Plan: • Benjamin Yost • Regi Teasley • Julie Daum • Camille Tischler • Asha Sanaker, Ithaca Resident • Dennis Cavanaugh, IC Student • Karen Yearwood, CLOC • Eric Rosario, CLOC • Laura Branca, CLOC • Peter Bellmio, Consultant • Ben Adam Climer, Consultant • Genevieve Smith, Ithaca Resident • John Phillips, Lansing Resident • Elizabeth Riley, Town of Ithaca Resident • Sara Hess, Ithaca Resident • Amanda Conklin, Cayuta Resident • Aundra Johnson, Former Ithaca Resident • Harmony Borchardt-Wier, Tompkins County Resident • David West, Ithaca Resident • Louise Erskine, Ithaca Resident • Nevin Sabet, Lansing Resident • Robin Messing, Ithaca Resident 1.4 Statements from Employees: None. 1.5 Council Response: None. 2. Consent Agenda Items City Administration Committee Meeting March 24, 2021 Page 3 2.1 Amendment to Personnel Roster – DPW – Administrative Assistants Moved by Alderperson Kerslick. Seconded by Alderperson Gearhart. WHEREAS, budget reductions in the Department of Public Works due to the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in the reduction of financial and administrative staff, specifically the Executive Assistant and Manager of Fiscal Operations positions; and WHEREAS, due to staff reductions, the Financial Management Assistants located at Streets & Facilities, Water & Sewer, and City Hall have assumed additional financial and administrative responsibilities which are more similar to the duties required of an Administrative Assistant; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the personnel roster of the Department of Public Works be amended as follows: Add: Three (3) Administrative Assistants – 40 hours/week (Grade 8) Defund: Three (3) Financial Management Assistants – 40 hours/week (Grade 6) Delete: One (1) Financial Management Assistant – 20 hours/week (Grade 6) and be it further RESOLVED, That the three full-time Financial Management Assistant positions shall remain on the DPW personnel roster in an unfunded capacity until such time as the employees successfully complete the civil service examination process for Administrative Assistant, at which time the positions shall be abolished; and be it further RESOLVED, That the above changes shall be funded from the same accounts which the Financial Management Assistants are currently budgeted, and the differential in pay shall be funded from the vacant part-time Financial Management Assistant position that is being deleted. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3. Finance, Budget and Appropriations 3.1 Request to Amend Capital Project #864 – GIAC Gym Renovation Moved by Alderperson Brock. Seconded by Alderperson Gearhart. WHEREAS, a capital project in the amount of $290,000 was established in 2019 to purchase and renovate the former Immaculate Conception School gymnasium for use by the Greater Ithaca Activities Center for city youth recreation; and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca, in collaboration with the Greater Ithaca Activities Center Board of Directors (GIAC, Inc.), purchased the gym from Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services and now hold the deed to the facility; and City Administration Committee Meeting March 24, 2021 Page 4 WHEREAS, GIAC received formal schematic designs with alternates, and related estimates for the renovation portion of the project totaling $3.5 million; and WHERAS, this past year the difficulties brought on by the Coronavirus, especially around distancing and having space for program participants, highlighted the importance of having this facility available for programming; and WHEREAS, GIAC has been fundraising and is ready to move this renovation project forward; and WHEREAS, Common Council is desirous of progressing this reimbursement project; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That Common Council hereby amends Capital Project # 864, GIAC Gym Renovation in an amount not to exceed $3,500,000, for a total project authorization of $3,790,000, for the purposes of designing and constructing such improvements, and be it further RESOLVED, That funding for said Capital Project shall be derived from the issuance of Serial Bonds with the understanding that eligible expenses will be reimbursed by GIAC, Inc., based on private donations and grants. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 4. City Administration, Human Resources, and Policy 4.1 Support for the Friends of Stewart Park’s Application to the Preserve New York Grant Program Moved by Alderperson Gearhart. Seconded by Alderperson Smith. WHEREAS, Stewart Park is a regional waterfront destination within the City of Ithaca that offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities to residents and visitors; and WHEREAS, the park’s dynamic history is represented in its existing buildings, structures, monuments, and landscape features; and WHEREAS, the Friends of Stewart Park (FSP) is a non-profit organization working in partnership with the City of Ithaca to revitalize the municipally-owned Stewart Park; and WHEREAS, as part of their revitalization efforts, the FSP promotes the park’s significant community history through programing, events, and other projects and activities that engage the public; and WHEREAS, the FSP wishes to nominate the park for listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places to further promote its historic value locally, regionally, and nationally; and WHEREAS, the Preservation League of New York State and New York State Council on the Arts have announced the availability of funds through the 2021 Preserve New York Grant Program; and City Administration Committee Meeting March 24, 2021 Page 5 WHEREAS, the FSP is interested in applying to the Preserve New York Grant Program to engage a consultant to draft a National Register Nomination for Stewart Park; and WHEREAS, the FSP will serve as the recipient and administrator of any grant award; and WHEREAS, the FSP will provide the funding match as required by the grant program; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That City of Ithaca Common Council herby offers its support and endorsement for the Friends of Stewart Park’s application to the 2021 Preserve New York Grant Program for the completion of a National Register Nomination for Stewart Park. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 4.2 A Resolution Adopting and Authorizing Mayor to Submit the Reimagining Public Safety Plan Pursuant to New York State Executive Order 203 Common Council, the Mayor, members of the Reimagining Public Safety Team and members of the Police Department discussed the proposed Reimagining Public Safety Plan. To continue discussion on this topic passed 10:00 p.m., Alderperson Brock made a motion to continue the meeting until 10:15 p.m. Seconded by Alderperson Nguyen. Motion passed unanimously. After discussion, it was suggested that language in the resolution be modified to reflect what was discussed. The final edit and adoption of the plan would be at the Common Council meeting scheduled for March 31, 2021. 5. Discussion. None. 6 Meeting Wrap-up 6.1 Announcements. None. 6.2 Next Meeting Date: April 28, 2021. 6.3 Review, Agenda Items for Next Meeting. None. 6.4 Adjourn: With no further business and on a motion by Alderperson Smith, the meeting was adjourned at 10:05 p.m. CAC Meeting Comments – March 24, 2021 12:41 Kyle Wieder Ithaca Police Department I do not live in Ithaca, NY but I am right over the hill and spend a lot of time in Ithaca. I have friends that are police officers and some that have worked for Ithaca PD. Simply put anyone that thinks disarming a police department is a good idea obviously is not in the right state of mind. These same people are the first to blame police when tragedy strikes and they are looking for answers, with all the opposition and energy spent trying to fight for their jobs how does anyone expect them to get their job done to 100% of their ability? If all these people spent more time supporting the police and doing good for the community rather than wasting time protesting and destroying cities we would not even have to have this conversation. I propose the city come up with signs for all these people that do not want the police, they can be placed on the doors of their homes and their cars that say "" I do not want police assistance"" so then they do not have to worry about the police ""bothering"" them. City Administration needs to do the right thing, stand up for the police department that has protected you and your city for so long and give them the support they need to succeed. If City Administration lets this go through they will to be blamed when the city falls apart and should be held 100% accountable. 3/24/2021 12:51 Peter Meskill Re-Imagining Public Safety Letter to common council re public safety 3-24-21 The City Mayors proposal to eliminate the Ithaca Police Department and give away the SWAT Truck is a misguided idea. As the Sheriff of Tompkins County (1999-2010) I have seen the positive outcomes of well thought out reform and change. The current process as recently described by the Mayor as “Blue Sky Thinking” is more of Pie in the Sky thinking that is dangerous and not what is needed or intended by the Governors executive order. During my first few years as Sheriff, it became apparent to me the county needed some sort of highly trained tactical force for properly and safely enforcing the law and maintaining public safety. Instead of trying to create our own team, Chief Basile of IPD and I discussed the possibility of adding deputies to the city team to create a joint city/county tactical team. The outcome after several months of work was a memorandum signed by city and county administration as well as the chief and I. That memorandum is still used to operate the team today. I wonder if the public understands what the “Swat truck” is? It is an RV, designed to be a Mobile command center that is used equally by command staff, administrators, the Critical Incident and Negotiation Team, referred to as CINT and the swat team for storage of gear and other items used by the tactical team at the scene of an incident. Just like every fire department, that keeps its trucks supplied and ready to roll in a moment’s notice, Law enforcement must do the same. What will replace your City/County command center where the trained law enforcement and related staff gather to put a plan together to work towards a safe and successful outcome at a high-risk incident? Please reconsider this short-sighted idea! Can you imagine a fire dept that first has to load its fire hose and water on a truck before they head off to a fire? It is the equivalent or worse if you give away such an important tool like the “Swat truck” you already own to another agency. The Governor’s august letter to executive leaders and police commanders regarding his executive order for police reform indicated “Collaborative” is the key word to this process. He further indicated, “It would be a mistake to frame these discussions as an adversarial process or an effort to impose top-down solutions. Issues must be aired but solutions must be crafted”. Given that, I urge you to work and listen to all party’s… community members and police in a collaborative manner and make positive change. I know it can be done I have seen it happen before. It will take everyone listening and working for reasonable solutions and reform not a politically motivated top-down document to destroy the Ithaca City Police Department. You can’t accomplish police reform and solid public safety practices when you hold the employment, career and livelihood of your staff over their head. Sincerely Peter Meskill Sheriff of Tompkins County (1999-2010) 3/24/2021 13:09 Thomas Landrigan Dissolvement of Police force I am a retired law enforcement officer from NY. I attended SUNY Cortland and visited Ithaca on many occasions. In this day and age, many people believe that an armed, uniformed police force is an entity whose time has passed. How wrong these people are. The deterrence that the police present to criminals and miscreants is immeasurable. The ability to react quickly to any and all emergencies is evident on a daily occurrence. As someone who worked in law enforcement for 26+ years I clearly understand the function of the police. To send unarmed social workers into situations that can, and often do, deteriorate quickly is reckless and ineffective. Innocent people will lose thier lives. Only a very few years ago, the police were considered heroes and friends to society. Ask yourself, ""What happened?"". Work on fixing that. Thank you Thomas Landrigan 3/24/2021 13:14 Chris Dempsey Reimagining Public Safety As a fellow law enforcement official, I strongly urge the common council not to eliminate the police department and fill it with unarmed citizens. This will be a major safety issue for the unarmed citizens as well as the community in general. I have worked in law enforcement for over 15 years and have seen extensive changes in crime, mental health complaints and various other issues. When I first started we did not have nearly the issues that we have now. Bail Reform has already caused major problems within our communities as criminals are emboldened as there are no consequences for their negative behaviors. This did not use to be the case. When the police showed up to handle a situation, they were respected and were not constantly challenged as there was a consequence when crime was committed. Now, with the changes in the laws and Bail Reform, the criminals have a complete disregard for the police and the local and state laws as they know that after an arrest, they must be let go. I have seen it repeatedly since Bail Reform started. This is deteriorating our communities and the law abiding citizens are the true victims. There has to be law and order or else our society will crumble. Getting rid of your current police department will be detrimental to your city and community. Sending unarmed citizens to some of these calls will prove to be a huge safety issue where an actual armed, law enforcement professional will need to respond. I've seen comments that your mayor has made in the past about how good and well trained the Ithaca Police Department is. ""We are proud of the good work of the Ithaca Police Department and strive to make our City a great place…” - Svante Myrick. “…The men and women of the Ithaca Police Department have performed their duties with admirable skill and professionalism…” - Svante Myrick. ""As head of a police department I see every day the important work that police do. They do a dangerous job under difficult circumstances. They respond to the most mundane calls and the most horrific ones. They protect us from drunk drivers, domestic abuse, burglary and more. Most of them do it with professionalism and respect. They are committed and compassionate public servants…”- Svante Myrick. If this is the case, then why would you vote to get rid of it? Just be careful what you wish for. Without the police, it places everyone else in your community in danger as it will be lawless! Thank you 3/24/2021 13:32 Chris Hayen Reimagining the police department I’m not sure where to begin, or how we have even gotten here. The Police aren’t the problem, and getting rid of, or “reimagining” isn’t going to fix any of the problems that your city or any city has. The major cities that have already “defunded” or “reimagines” their departments have seen a MASSIVE increase in violent crime, not to mention petty crime. They are also now looking to spend MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, in order to hire new cops!!! Ironic isnit it. Listen, if you don’t take care of your car, never fix it or maintain it, and then when it brakes, blame the mechanic? No. Hiring peace officers is not only backwards, it’s useless. To be a peace officer you are required to have LESS TRAINING. Meaning they are less capable to respond to the never ending and changing calls that Police respond to. And if your answer to that is, “we will provide training.” I say bull crap excuse my language.) but that’s the truth. Because you don’t provide enough training to your cops. Also, to train your peace officers, all you would be doing...believe it or not again, providing them with the training that would then make them...you guessed it. POLICE OFFICERS! Also, there is a reason the Police respond to even the “lightest) of calls, or ones where “why are police going?” That’s because every situation could turn deadly. Your putting people in harms way by removing Police, and sending untrained, un armed people to any type of aided call. You will be doing not only your city a dis service, but placing EVERY CITIZEN of your city, and every visitor in harms way by “reimagining” your police department. I will for one, stay as far away form any city that “reimagines” or displaces their PD. You go through their training and go to the calls they go to before being so quick to cut something I’m sure you’ve needed. 3/24/2021 13:39 Carl Gibson Ithaca Police Dept My Son and my Grandson both live in Ithaca. It is a beautiful small town. Our visits there have always been positive and the local police have always been very visible and friendly. As a retired police officer, I feel that any movement toward the current trend to disband the Ithaca Police Dept. would be a mistake. Politicians would say that they do not wish to disband, but to change and somehow re-direct the way the police dept. is currently functioning. That is fine, but only if additional funds are provided to add services not currently available. Vic Gibson McCpd Retired." 3/24/2021 13:55 Joanne,Haff Ithaca Police Dept My husband is a long time dedicated Ithaca Police Officer who has and will continue to serve the public in which he took an oath to serve and protect. He hasn’t given up on the City even thou he hasn’t received a pay raise in a decade! My husband and myself have lost a lot of sleep and weight (the weight part we will take) with what is proposed. I know I speak for myself and ALL the other Ithaca Police families; this change cannot happen; there are a lot of good and dedicated officers that want to serve and protect the community! If this plan does go through, please know that I am encouraging my husband to transfer to a community that respects the police. I want him to be proud of the job he does and I know the community he will transfer to will be proud to have him with ALL his experience! In ending, please do not pass what is proposed to you. Thank you, Joanne Haff 3/24/2021 14:16 Michael,OMeara Ithaca Police Department I am the President of the New York State Association of PBAs, the largest statewide umbrella group of Police in New York. We represent more than 40,000 police officers. I have watched the last couple of meetings virtually and have read the report on the Reimagining of Public Safety in the City of Ithaca. Therefore, I found a need to communicate with the common council in the hope that some members will have common sense. Policing is a noble and necessary profession. The Ithaca PD is a highly trained, and by all accounts, well respected agency. To have a wholesale dissolution of this department is frankly insane. It is one thing to want to invest more revenue and effort into social welfare services, but not at the expense of the safety of the members of your community. God help you all if you follow through with this radical, and frankly malfeasant plan. In New York City, in order to appease the violent protestors, they did away with the plainclothes unit that was responsible for removing guns from the street. Gun crime has had a meteoric rise since that happened. Cause and effect. Don't let the same pattern of violence and crime follow in your now peaceful city. 3/24/2021 15:13 Vicki Shaff PROPOSED REIMAGING OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE CITY OF ITHACA I may live in Trumansburg, but I've worked at Cornell since 1980, which means daily commuting during the week. I also shop in Ithaca. Over the years I've seen an increase in violence and crime in the City of Ithaca and I cannot think of anything more ridiculous than the proposed reimaging of public safety by eliminating the police department. If this proposal gets passed, I will definitely cut down on the number of trips I make because I will not feel safe!! Perhaps there have been some problems in other cities with the police departments, but I don't feel that pertains to Ithaca. The police put their lives on the line every day for us and I have nothing but respect for them. Eliminating the police department is a recipe for disaster just waiting to happen!! I hope someone comes to their senses and this whole idea gets voted down. 3/24/2021 15:34 Louis Civello Police Reform/Union Busting Dear Council members, As a Union Member and supporter of the NYS Labor Movement, I urge you to reject the ill-conceived resolution which purports to reimagine public safety. This proposal is really intended to reimagine collective bargaining. It does so in a way that is anti-worker, anti-union, and in fact, is antithetical to everything the labor movement stands for. In his March 10, 2021 resolution, Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick presents us with a new way of collective bargaining, one where he legislates working conditions instead of negotiating in good faith. He even goes so far as to threaten the existence of the union itself. In his self-promoting GQ interview, Mayor Myrick said, ""all current officers would have to re-apply for a position with the new department"". Even right-wing union busters would not go as far as Mayor Myrick had intended to. Only under pressure from organized labor did Mayor Myrick relent in his pursuit to mass fire the entire Ithaca Police Department. Even in its current form, the draft proposal seeks to eviscerate collective bargaining by unilaterally taking away police duties and responsibilities and discouraging union membership. If the Ithaca City Council allows this to pass it will set a dangerous precedent for teachers, firefighters, and every other public sector worker in the New York State. I urge the council to reject Mayor Myrick's union-busting plan and Vote NO to the draft proposal. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. Best regards, Louis Civello 3/24/2021 15:41 William P Police Dept, Are you people nuts? Have you all lost your minds? DO YOU REALIZE HOW RIDICULOUS YOUR PROPOSAL TO DEFUND/ELIMINATE THE ITHACA POLICE DEPARTMENT IS??? This is all about saving money, it always is. Once you dismantle the Police it will be very difficult to unravel your mistake. So sorry but it’s time to move out. " 3/24/2021 16:53 Kristi Eastman Proposed Reimagining of Public Safety Good day, Unfortunately, I will not be able to log in on time to the meeting this evening, but I would still like my opinion heard. I was born and raised in Ithaca, New York, even attended Ithaca College. While I lived in other parts of the country, I have always considered Ithaca my home. I moved back to Ithaca in 2017 and have watched our town seemingly fall apart over the past couple of years. The crime rate is up and there are more drugs than I have ever seen or heard of. This seems to only be one worse as we take away funding from the Ithaca Police Department. I grew up feeling safe walking the streets of Ithaca alone, even as a small child. There used to be such an incredible police presence in our town and I feel strongly that taking away our police department would be the destruction of our community. I personally would find a new home. I urge a vote against the reform. I believe my home town depends on it and I fully back the men in blue, who risk their lives to make our community a safer place to live. Warm regards, ~Kristi Eastman 3/24/2021 17:05 David Freeborn Dissolving of Ithaca PD My name is David Freeborn and I am not personally from Ithaca nor do I live there. I am a retired Police Officer from Long Island and, my daughter Jessica, has lived and gone to school in Ithaca for the past 5 years. On some occasions she has had to call on the men and women of Ithaca PD for assistance and each time, she was treated with professionalism and respect. There was one instance when, she was on her way back to her how shared with 4 other girls, she and a house mate came across a woman laying in the middle of the road at 3 AM. They stopped and realized that this woman was obviously under the influence of some drug or alcohol as she was screaming at the top of her lungs. They dialed 911 and within a minute or two, officers were on scene rendering aide to this woman. Imagine my heart stopping when at 3 AM I Get a call from an Ithaca police officer. This officer called bc my daughter was too shook up to call me and wanted me to know that she was alright and that what she and her housemate did possibly saved this woman’s life. These things cannot be replaced by social workers or unarmed security agents. The rush to change our police departments is a dangerous thing. I do believe that so e change does need to be done in our police departments. Dissolving them and replacing them with less qualified people is a recipe for disaster. That night I spoke about, I’m so glad a professional police officer was there to help my daughter and her friend. Please rethink this! 3/24/2021 17:34 Briam Genova Police I strongly urge this committee to reconsider any decision to dismantle the Ithaca Police Department and replace police officers with social workers and armed security. If the members of this committee think that police work can be broken down into just those two categories- then you are gravely mistaken. 20 years ago I stepped into my first assigned police precinct as a rookie police officer with the NYPD. The local Rabbi was in the building and was asked to speak to us. He immediately began to try explain what little understanding the public has for of the multitude of jobs that police are tasked with. He went on to say that the public’s understanding of police work is like a blind man trying to describe an elephant.. As the story goes, 5 blind men who never saw an elephant before in their lives, were asked to describe what one looks like by touch alone. So they began. One felt the tusks, one felt the trunk, one felt the ear, one felt the side, and one felt the tail. All had different answers and of what an elephant looked like and yet they felt the same animal. The were all right and at the same time all wrong..They each gave very good descriptions of what they felt, but in reality none accurately described an elephant.. I bring this lesson to this this committee because police work is that elephant.. And now more then ever you’re gunna need people who can recognize that elephant 3/24/2021 17:51 Robin Messing An alternative to major restructuring of the police force that may be more palatable to the police I submitted the following letter to Common Council on March 18. I just want to clarify one thing that I should have mentioned in my letter. I am not against the proposed restructuring of the police department. However, I recognize that there is fierce opposition to it among the police and their supporters. Some of the ideas listed below should be enacted whether the department is restructured or not. Kirschner’s 3-part police reform plan can be viewed as an alternative to the proposed restructuring that may be more palatable to the police ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I commend everyone involved for producing a very thoughtful report on reforming public safety in Ithaca and Tompkins County. I am a White male in my 60s and I seldom, if ever, have contact the police, so you would be justified in taking that into consideration in evaluating my opinion about police reform. I have read the report, though not the supporting documents, and I have watched the Police Benevolent Association’s Feb. 26 press conference. Most of the recommendations, such as improving data collecting and analysis, improving training, making efforts to increase minority representation in the police, etc. should be non- controversial and implemented. What follows are a few specific observations as well as a suggestion for how to use the most controversial aspect of the proposed changes to improve policing, even if that controversial aspect isn’t implemented. Page 41 of the report states: “To ensure that Officers are holding each other accountable, the Department has a Duty to Intervene Policy which requires officers to intervene and/or report misconduct which they witness. This additional level of accountability is designed to ensure that all officers abide by the standards set forth by policy, rules and regulations, legal standards, and administrative expectations.” This is great, but do subordinate police officials have the authority, and do they know they have the authority, to intervene if they see a superior office apply excessive force? This would be a tricky situation for a subordinate to be in, and unless it is drilled into all officers that they have the right AND THE DUTY to try to get a superior officer to abandon the use of excessive force, we could end up in a situation like that which led to the death of George Floyd. Page 41 of the report states: “If an officer is off-duty and commits an act that causes discredit to the Department (i.e. social media post), or an act which violates a law or other Department policy, it will trigger an internal affairs investigation. Although off-duty, the officer can still be subject to discipline.” Stick a pin in this quote. It will be discussed in more detail below. Page 42 of the report states: “A recommendation has been made to allow for several hours of paid leave time to be granted as an incentive for successfully de-escalating a crisis or any other instance of high-quality policing.” That is a great suggestion. I also recommend setting up a web page to acknowledge good police work by documenting incidents where officers have de-escalated situations or performed other instances of high-quality policing. Of course, such a page would have to be careful to protect the anonymity of those who the officer has dealt with, and it could not reveal information that would spoil an ongoing investigation. But people disproportionately hear about negative encounters between officers and the public. Providing evidence of exemplary behavior provides a more balanced picture to the public while simultaneously providing officers an additional incentive to deescalate situations. Page 42 of the report states that the Chief of Police can not fire anyone, “even under the most egregious circumstances.” The best the Chief can do is put the officer accused of wrongdoing/brutality on paid administrative while the incident in question is being investigated. A n officer who commits an aggressive and unwarranted act of violence or some other offense worthy of firing should not be able to collect a paycheck while he or she is under investigation, whereas someone who is not found guilty should be paid. Of course, we cannot know whether an officer is guilty until an investigation has been conducted. So I propose the following change. If there is enough evidence available that the officer engaged in conduct egregious enough to be fired, then the officer must return the pay that was given to him or her while the investigation was conducted. Of course, the Police Union may object to this claw-back provision. But that is where the most controversial proposal of the report—the replacement of the City of Ithaca Police Department with a Community Solutions and Public Safety Department—can come in handy. There are good reasons for the restructuring, but there are two reasons to hesitate. 1) Sending unarmed first responders in to diffuse a situation could lead to the situation going south very quickly. How fast will the armed safety officers be able to arrive on the scene in an emergency? Should teams of two be sent—including an unarmed first responder and an armed safety officer--to situations which could escalate? Will the armed safety officer remain in the squad car or just slightly off-site where he or she can respond quickly should the first responder need their help? Should teams of three be sent out, with two armed safety officers remaining in the nearby vicinity in while the first responder tries to deal with the situation? Will there be enough officers on the force to do this? None of this is spelled out in the report. It may be better to delay making a decision on radical restructuring until the logistics and the expense of implementing this proposal is better analyzed. 2) There is fierce opposition to the proposal by the police union. Going ahead with the proposal will further demoralize the police and many may seek employment elsewhere. Will we be able to find enough high-quality replacements in a timely fashion for those who leave? If not, the city may not have enough police protection which could lead to escalating crime. Therefore, it is probably better to hold off on implementing the major restructuring for now. But even if we do not implement the restructuring, the plan for restructuring can be used as a bargaining chip with the police union. If they make certain concessions, then restructuring might not even be necessary. One of those concessions—an agreement to claw back the pay of an officer who has been dismissed for egregious behavior, has already been discussed. There are two other concessions I will discuss—extreme vetting and extreme accountability. But first, I would like to introduce Glenn Kirschner. Glenn Kirschner is a former federal prosecutor with 30 years’ experience, much of it dealing with homicides. He produced an hour-long video which I hope you will watch, but feel free to skip to 22:35 where he lays out his 3-part plan for police reform. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGsshP1WqY0 Much of his plan has either already been implemented or is included in the police reform plan currently being considered. His plan consists of a three-pronged approach. 1. Extreme hiring and vetting of police officers, by both the police department and citizens of the community. 2. Extreme training and testing of police officers once hired. 3. Extreme accountability if there is an allegation of misconduct or excessive force. All of this should be conducted under the umbrella of extreme citizen participation. Kirschner talks about extreme hiring and vetting of officers from 28:07 – 33:45. The part starting around 29:20 is especially important: “If you want the kind of power that comes with a badge and a gun and the ability to order me out of my car, I want to make darn sure you are the right kind of person, in it for the right kind of reasons. I want to make sure you are not racist. You’re not a bully. You’re not power hungry. You’re not intolerant of anyone, whether for racial reasons, national origin reasons, ethnicity reasons, religious reasons, sexual orientation reasons . . . If you are the kind of person who is drawn to policing, is drawn to public service, you should welcome extreme vetting. Your life should be an open book. I want to see, as a member of the citizens brigade that gets to participate with the police department in the hiring and vetting of future police officers, I want to see that applicant’s social media, inside and out. Because there are people who may be successful at hiding who they are when they’re walking around the streets, but they may be a little bit more forthcoming and transparent when they are on social media and they have a little bit of anonymity. I want to see their social media posts. All of them. Across every platform. I want to see what kind of tattoos they have, because I have seen police officers with racist tattoos. I want to be able to interview an applicant’s family, friends, colleagues, former employers. I want that applicant to be an open book, and I want them comfortable to be an open book. I want them to be the kind of person, I mean, nobody’s perfect. Nobody’s a boy scout or a girl scout. Nobody is completely bias-free. But I want them to be the kind of person in it for the right reasons. Not to just wield power and bully people, but to help people. To protect and serve people. And if they seek that kind of position and that kind of power, they should welcome the open book approach, the extreme vetting approach to who they are. So the people to be policed, the community that will have to comply with this officer’s order to stop the car, get out of the car, get on the ground, so the citizens can have confidence that it’s an order that is given from a place of true honor and duty and protecting and serving the community and it’s necessary.” Now remember this from page 41 of the report: “If an officer is off-duty and commits an act that causes discredit to the Department (i.e. social media post), or an act which violates a law or other Department policy, it will trigger an internal affairs investigation. Although off-duty, the officer can still be subject to discipline.” I propose extreme vetting of all police officers’ social media accounts on an ongoing basis—not just when an officer is hired. Every officer must disclose all of his or her accounts to be vetted either by a civilian oversight board or by the public at large. Kirschner discusses extreme accountability from 46:56 – 53:18 of the video. The following passage is particularly important. “Extreme accountability. What do I mean by that? Well, this one is probably easy and obvious and intuitive. One strike and you’re out. This ain’t baseball. You don’t get to engage in excessive force three times before you are out of the game. One strike and you’re out. Now let me be clear. That one strike, that one allegation of excessive force needs a full, fair, honest airing and investigation. And it needs to be conducted with full citizen participation. Transparency in all things government.” Kirschner goes on to acknowledge that the police have a hard job. There are people who want to kill them. They may legitimately need to use violence to protect themselves or others. And there are people who file false reports of police violence. Having said that, if an officer uses excessive force where it is not warranted, he or she should be gone. The police union may object to having officers’ social media accounts monitored by a civilian oversight board or by the public at large. And they might object to a “One strike and you’re out” policy. But with the potential for a major restructuring policy hanging over their heads if lesser reforms do not work then they may be more malleable in their negotiations with the city. 3/24/2021 18:26 Vanessa,Bentley Police Reform Dear Mr. Mayor and Members of Common Council, My name is Vanessa Bentley. While I currently live just outside the city, I graduated from Ithaca High School, have lived in the city or town of Ithaca for most of my adult life, and currently work in the city. Additionally, my partner, retired Chief John Barber and I have several rental properties in the city, my family owns a business on the west end, and a close family member lives in an area the city where there have been shots fired, stabbings, and at least one murder in the last year alone. I have a vested and personal interest in Item #1 of the Mayor’s Reimagining Public Safety plan. To be clear, I am 100% opposed to Item #1. First, John and I are responsible landlords who provide affordable housing. We have long term tenants in many of our units. I am concerned that this might change due to the uptick in violent crimes that have occurred in the areas of our properties. With the already defunded police force, how do you as city officials see addressing this issue with an agency made up of half armed, half unarmed “security officers?” Criminals are becoming more emboldened to do what they want and when they want. Public safety should be Item #1, not dissolving the police force. Second, I’ve had a family member call me at least three times in the last two years because they have heard gun shots outside of their residence. One of those times resulted in a murder. Further, my family has had to replace windows on their businesses SEVERAL TIMES as a result of bullet holes. Now, the typical civilian response would be “well, let’s ask the police to have more of a presence in that area to deter crime.” Which would make sense if the IPD had the staffing to proactively police, but they don’t because they’ve been defunded since 2012. Why on earth would you defund them even more with an obvious increase in crime? It’s not logical. Third, the IPD is a premier and progressive department. I know this because I grew up in Ithaca, I attended the first ever Citizens Police Academy while in high school (which included many ride alongs), in 2002 I was the recipient of the Michael A. Padula Memorial Scholarship (which was awarded to one high school graduate by IPD every year in Tompkins County. PLEASE NOTE: There hasn’t been enough staffing to keep this scholarship program going), I am friends with current officers and their spouses, and again, my partner is a retired Police Chief. People interested in becoming police officers used to dream about working at the IPD because of how great a department it was (and still is). Now they can barely get anyone to take the test, no one wants to lateral from another agency, and current officers are looking for jobs elsewhere. This is a direct result of the lack of support from city officials. Lastly, both John and I would also like to express our support for keeping the IPD mobile command unit, which is part of the solution-based approach created to prevent senseless tragedies, such as the one that took IPD Inv. Padula’s life. How many of you have spent time in in the unit during a critical incident? I would think that if you’re suggesting its removal then you ought to have direct knowledge of how it operates. Repaint or rebrand if you must, but it needs to remain as a critical incident asset with the IPD. I think it must also be mentioned that mass killings tend to happen in primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, grocery stores, and shopping centers…all of which Ithaca has. Why on earth would you eliminate an asset such as the mobile command unit and team. It just seems contrary to me. The benefit far outweighs the cost because you cannot put a price on a human life. In closing, this city should be overall proud of the individuals who work at the IPD. Please think about your own biases at it relates to law enforcement when determining what you think is best for OUR city. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Vanessa Bentley 3/24/2021 18:40 Camille Tischler Public Safety, My name is Camille Tischler. I live on West Hill in the City of Ithaca Many people are talking about the Public Safety plan as if it was about the police. From my perspective it is not about the police, has never been about the police and should never be about the police. They are one small part of public safety and should not be the focus of any discussion about public safety. Public safety is about the community, the people who live and work in the city and the county. The community should be at the center of the discussion about public safety. Safety depends on knowing what contributes to safety and what breeds harm. Though no fault of their own, it is clear that police do not make a community safe. Safety is about circumstances. Character counts but circumstances are what rules the day. Public safety is about community cohesion, addressing the needs of a community – at all levels - while working to eliminate the need and the opportunity to cause harm. Punishing those who are already under undue stress only creates more harm. The plan put forward by the city and the county is a good beginning. It not only endeavors to address a wide range of community needs, it also addresses the needs of police officers and their families. This plan is not perfect but it is a start for people who are engaged and who want to do the work of being a community as opposed to pretending that we are all self-sufficient. Blinding ourselves to the excessive demands and indignities our present day social order visits on many people will not promote safety. And safety is a pretty low bar. I believe we can do better. It is not surprising that this plan is meeting resistance. A perfect plan would also meet resistance. Most people in most circumstances prefer the status quo. However, the status quo is increasingly unstable. Current systems are no longer viable and do not provide public safety. We must have some courage and try new things. Many people worked long and hard on this plan. The recommendations are practical and in many cases are based on practices that have been successful in other communities. It also contains an understanding of the need for and a commitment to continual improvement. A vote for the draft plan Public Safety – Reimagined is a vote for a safer city and a safer county. Thank you. 3/24/2021 18:44 Donald Strozyk Eliminating Ithaca Police Department The elimination of the Ithaca Police Department has to be one of the most foolish things I've heard to be considered during this time of defunding police. Look to see how that has worked out in other cities, i.e. Minneapolis; NYC; Baltimore; Seattle among others. Crime in those cities has sky rocketed and any hope of it ever subsiding is going to be near impossible. The Ithaca Police Department works with mental health workers among others to assist in serving the public as other police departments across the country do. Mental Health workers and others don't want to go into situations that the police haven't calmed down or evaluated first. Those that have not done the job have no idea on how difficult police work is and getting worse every day. With actions like those proposed by the Ithaca City Council, lawlessness will ultimately prevail in your city and turning back the clock may not be an option. The City council has obviously not done it's job and those are the ones that should be replaced as you are putting the public at great risk. It sounds as though you have an agenda that does not factor in to the publics safety. 3/24/2021 18:52 Neith,Myrick Vote for Reimagining Police Reform - Vote yes. Having a distinction between community solution officers and the community safety officers is the right thing to do. This proposal was thoughtfully put together and brought in a wide range of community constituents for input. I believe the majority of us looked at the system as it is and said we need a change....question then becomes; what does that change look like? What most resonated with me is that everyone deserves to feel safe; regardless of the color of their skin. For me, the focus on health and human safety is the reason you should vote yes to adopting this bill. One; it makes good business sense; as an operating manager, you want expertise within my organization and the ability to deploy that expertise where it will be most useful. At every point in American History, there are moments where our elected officials are called upon to make a change. One that may not always be politically convenient; but is the right thing to do. You all have the opportunity to make the world a better place. Vote Yes. 3/24/2021 19:00 Matthew Marsh REIMAGING OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE CITY OF ITHACA Hello, I feel the need to comment officially. The mayor made a statement that people that do not live in Ithaca are adding comment and he expressed that those voices shouldn't be heard. The IPD serves and protects all regardless on they live in Ithaca or not. I have spent the last 17 years working in Ithaca. I have never felt less safe in the city. Over the years I have spent countless hours and dollars in the city.. going out to dinner, shopping for goods or food, enjoying the commons, or buying hardware for my home. Those days are gone. I do not stop in Ithaca unless it is for a stop light. I don't pay sales tax, parking fees, or buy any items. Not only do I not feel safe in the city, but I don't want my money going to the city. The only thing between the criminals and me is IPD. With the rise in crime, criminals not fearing the law, and the mayor not supporting the great police department of Ithaca.. I know I am not the only person that has taken their business elsewhere even though we spend all day every day in that city. My voice matters, even though the mayor has stated it doesn't and most importantly, so does my safety. This proposal by the mayor is a reckless one that cannot be considered. The safety of the community and financial impact to the city from lost revenue cannot become a partisan issue. All of my interactions with IPD officers have been very pleasant, they are hard working individuals that put their life on the line daily for you and I. This is no way to treat a department of hard working men and woman that most of the public appreciates and respects. 3/25/2021 9:01 Joanne Haff Police I have a major concern- My husband Officer Dana Haff got injured while on a call at City Hall dealing with a mental person protecting the people that work at City Hall! Not ONE person checked on him! For your information, he was out of work due to this! Not only did he suffer, my entire family suffered. I had to miss work and rearrange my schedule to take care of him. How is that fair? I can’t believe HR and the mayor didn’t even have the respect or decency to check on him. I can’t believe he still cares about the city and the people he serves while you don’t care about him! The system needs to be fixed, whereas you need more people to deal with the real problem, mental health. Please start caring about the officers who serve and protect who show up everyday, ready and willing to work! 3/25/2021 9:28 James Carty Police Reform This will not work whatsoever. This is a waste of time and money. This is an ideological pursuit only. 3/25/2021 9:48 John Barber Police Reform My name is John Barber, and I am a retired Ithaca Police Chief and a lifelong Ithaca resident. I had the privilege of working many talented and dedicated officers at the IPD. I am proud of the officers who have stood up publicly and spoken out against the radical idea of dissolving the IPD. Their stories and concerns have made quite an impact on me, and they should on you as well. I will add my overwhelming concern regarding item # 1 in the Re-Imagining Report. The very idea of dismantling the entire police department and starting over with current officers having to reapply for a position that may not be armed, is absurdity at its best and gives the direct appearance of Union-Busting. Additionally, I am beyond bothered that Chief Nayor was blindsided by item #1, especially considering he and his staff had compiled a list of reform recommendations in compliance with the governor's order. Also, I know of several former police chiefs, myself included, who would have provided reform ideas and feedback for the report but were never consulted. Why is that? What really is the goal and motivation behind this? The mere suggestion of dismantling an excellent law enforcement agency is infuriating and is causing immense stress on our dedicated public servants and their families. Why on earth are we treating our employees this way? The IPD is recognized as one of the most progressive law enforcement agencies in the state and have continued to be progressive in spite of having been consistently ""defunded"" since 2012. The way these officers are being chastised is highly unfair and all of you know it. Item #1 is well beyond insulting and demoralizing. It feels like concern for the human element for those protecting and serving is completely void and forgotten. Many of the concerns regarding the IPD are a direct result of decreased staffing, lack of proper funding, and a lack of overall support. Every societal ill is dumped at the doorstep of our officers, yet a proposed solution is to abolish a highly trained agency? How about adding mental health personnel to the current roster? Violent crime is up in part because you have stripped away so many resources from the agency. The anti-police atmosphere is thriving and is encouraging lawlessness without fear of consequence. When our public officials fail to properly fund or support their police department, the result will provide long-lasting negative ripple effects throughout the community on residents, visitors, and business owners. Disappointment with our city leaders doesn't even begin to describe how I have felt since this report was first released by GQ magazine. I am encouraging all of you to reject the idea of dismantling the IPD and would ask you to spend some time with your officers so you have a better understanding of how public safety is delivered in the City of Ithaca, and perhaps consider your own bias concerning law enforcement. Only then can you bring honest and direct feedback to the table along with ideas on how to better serve our community. Thank you.