HomeMy WebLinkAboutSecond Quarter Social Justice and Racial Equity 2017CITY OF IOWA CITY
MEMORANDUM
Date: July 13, 2017
To: Geoff Fruin, City Manager
From: Stefanie Bowers, Human Rights Coordinator & Equity Director ~
Re: Social Justice and Racial Equity Second Quarter Update for 2017
Attached please find the second quarter Social Justice and Racial Equity Update for 2017.
Included as a part of this update is the Police Department's second quarter report on community
outreach, community presentations, cu ltural competency trainings, public education efforts on
rights, and community partnerships.
Social Justice & Racial Equity
Second Quarter Update (April-June 2017)
CITY OF IOWA CITY
UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE
CITY OF IOWA CITY SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITY
Accountability
April 4, the City of Iowa City, along with the City of Dubuque and the Government Alliance on Race and Equity
(GARE), sponsored a daylong conference held in downtown Iowa City titled Advancing Racial Equity: the Role of
Government. The conference had over 100 participants representing governmental bodies, community, and
organizations from across the State. The aim of the event was to demonstrate how local and regional governments
have the ability to implement policy change at multiple levels and across multiple sectors that can drive larger
systemic change in jobs, housing, health, education, and the criminal justice system.
April 19, staff from the Office of Equity and Human Rights participated in Diversity and Inclusion program
sponsored by the Employee Resource Group Consortium. Cather Taylor was the presenter. Mr. Taylor is the
Director of Recruitment and Diversity for Alliant Energy. The event was held at the Iowa City Public Library.
May 10, the City Manager's Roundtable was held with representatives attending from the Center for Worker
Justice, the Coalition for Racial Justice, the Human Rights Commission, the Black Voices Project and the
Community Police Review Board. The discussion focused on summer and programs for youth. For meeting notes
and the list of participants, visit https://www.icgov.org/city-government/departments-and-divisions/eguitv-and-
human-rights/social-justice-and-racial-eguitv.
May 12, the City renewed its membership with the Central Midwest Higher Education Recruitment Consortium
(HERC). The City joined HERC in 2016. HERC is a nonprofit consortium that assists its members in attracting the
most talented and diverse professionals across the nation.
May 16, the City Council passed a resolution at its formal meeting reaffirming the City of Iowa City Law
Enforcement Non-Discrimination Policy. The resolution reaffirms a similar resolution passed in 2001 .
May 26, the City renewed its membership with the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE). GAREis a
national network of local and state government entities working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities
for all. The City first joined in 2015.
June 1, staff from the Office of Equity and Human Rights participated in the Government Alliance on Race and
Equity's Midwest (GARE) members' meeting. At the meeting, initial plans were discussed for a Regional
Convening on Racial Equity in late 2017 or early 2018.
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CITV OF IOWA CITY SOCIAL JUSTI CE & RACIAL EQUITY
Conversations
April14, staff from the Office of Equity and Human Rights and Parks and Recreation participated in a dialogue
about opportunities, needs, and the state of youth and youth at risk in Johnson County. The meeting was held at
City High School and had representatives from the school district, youth organizations, and government agencies.
April 14, City staff participated in an open house held by the Iowa City Mosque. The event was planned to show
appreciation and gratitude for local support and solidarity.
April 27, the City Council held its sixth Listening Post in the lobby of the Broadway Neighborhood Center. City
Council listening posts provide opportunities for the community to engage with City leaders on topics that are
important to them in an informal setting.
April 28, the Police Department held Coffee with a Cop at T. Spoons in the Old Capitol Town Center.
May 19, the Police Department held Coffee with a Cop at The Dingo Bar located on Martin Street.
June 15, the City Council held its seventh Listening Post at Kiwanis Park. It was held in conjunction with Party in
the Park sponsored by Parks and Recreation.
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CITY OF IOWA CITY SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITY
Justice
April 28, the City added a link to American Friends Service Committee's Iowa Immigrant Rights Program. The
program works with immigrants in Central Iowa to help them build a sense of community so that new immigrants
will be able to participate in the political processes in their communities. The City also added a link to the 2017
Greater Iowa African American Resource Guide. This guide is published in part to enhance relationships between
the African American community and system professionals. Both links can be found under the Resources menu on
the Equity and Human Rights web page of the City's website.
June 24, the City was a co-sponsor of the annual Juneteenth celebration held from noon to 6 p.m. at Mercer Park
Recreation/Scanlon Gym. Staff from various City departments, including Fire and Police, volunteered at the event
that included a health fair, information booths, entertainment, and activities for youth.
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CITY OF IOWA CITY SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITY
Outreach
April 1, Parks and Recreation, along with the Local Food Project, collaborated to offer a pilot beginner gardening
class. The classes are intended to introduce participants to basic gardening skills that will aide in the growth of
their very own garden. Outreach focused on individuals and families from underserved areas and demographics.
The classes ran from April 1 to June 24.
April 12, the Office of Equity and Human Rights collaborated with the University of Iowa Legal Clinic to sponsor a
training for employers on the hiring and employment of non-US citizens. Over 20 participants including City staff
participated in this Lunch and Learn held at the East Side Recycling and Education Center.
May 20, Neighborhood and Community Development sponsored Building Business Basics: Learn How to Develop
a Plan to Launch Your Own Business at Kirkwood Community College, Iowa City Campus. Other sponsors
included the University of Iowa Community Credit Union, Kirkwood Community College, Hills Bank and Trust
Company, Center for Worker Justice, Sankofa Outreach Connection and Midwest One Bank. Over 80 community
members participated.
May 30, Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) was invited to participate in the pilot and launch of
Google's improved search experience to help people quickly explore jobs from across the web in one place. The
City joined HERC in 2016. HERC is a nonprofit consortium that assists its members in attracting the most talented
and diverse professionals across the nation.
June (whole month), the Library celebrated Pride month with LGBTQ+ displays in adult and children's areas.
June (whole month), the Library partnered with YES! (Youth Empowered to Serve) and the Summer Youth
Institute, two programs that focus on helping teens build job skills, to that they can find employment. They used
meeting rooms and the computer lab with groups of teens. A library representative made a presentation at the
Iowa City YES! Day on June 14 about youth employment opportunities at the Library.
June (whole month), the Library's Summer Reading Program (SRP) theme is Build A Better World. Themes of
social justice and racial equity were part of the SRP.
June (whole month), the new bookmobile regularly visited neighborhoods with high minority populations and
children's programs were delivered weekly at Wetherby, Mercer and Willowcreek Parks.
June 14, the City Manager, Mayor Pro-Tem, Parks and Recreation, Library, Office of Human Rights and Equity
and Neighborhood Services hosted 30 youth enrolled in the YES! program (Youth Empowered to Serve). The
program administered through Johnson County Social Services provide, youth ages 14-17 with the opportunity to
develop job skills, build positive community connections and prepare for a productive adulthood.
June 29, several City Departments including Parks and Recreation and Human Rights and Equity sponsored
Serving Up The Community BBQ presented by Black Voices Project. Other sponsors included Field to Family,
Center for Worker Justice and Backyard Abundance.
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SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITY
Training
April 11, Parks and Recreation staff participated in the National Recreation and Park Association webinar on Park
Equity: How an Equity Lens Can Change the Way You Do Business. The webinar looked at forward-thinking
agencies from around the country who have adopted racial equity plans that allow them to make investments and
better engage communities of color and other under-served communities.
April 6, two staff from the Library attended The National Building Coalition Institute: Leadership for Equity and
Inclusion daylong workshop.
April 24, staff from the Office of Equity and Human Rights participated in a webinar on Racial and Ethnic
Disparities: How States and Communities Can Work Together to Combat Disproportionality. Shay Bilchik, Director
of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University, was a presenter.
May 16, staff from Police, Parks and Recreation, City Manager's Office, Office of Human Rights and Equity,
Human Resources, and the Senior Center participated in a two hour training on The Safe Zone Project program.
The program offers a visible message of inclusion, affirmation, and support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
and queer people in the community. The training was led by the University of Iowa's Chief Diversity Office.
May 31 , staff from the Office of Equity and Human Rights participated in a webinar on Understanding and
Minimizing Unconscious Bias in the Hiring Process sponsored by Turner Consulting Group.
June 26, staff from the Office of Equity and Human Rights participated in the Government Alliance on Race and
Equity's monthly Membership Network meeting.
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POLICE
TO: Geoff Fruin, City Manager
FROM: Jody L. Matherly, Police Chief
RE: ICPD Strategy on Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC)
DATE: July 13, 2017
The Iowa City Police Department has participated in collecting demographic data in traffic stops since
1999. While disproportionality in minority contacts (DMC) in traffic stops still exists, much progress has
been made. After my hire, I reviewed the DMC study, arrest statistics by race, and met with numerous
community members and police staff.
As a result of this initial review and dialogue, the police department has developed a strategic plan to
aggressively address DMC issues over the next five years. There are four components to this plan: Goals
and Objectives, Education and Training, Community Outreach, and Deployment of Resources.
Goals and Objectives
• Goal #1 Reduce DMC involving discretionary charges in non-traffic related incidents
o Objective: address DMC in crimes where officer discretion may be a factor. Officer
discretion is typically at the highest levels for low level offenses. Officers will be
reminded that in addition to the relatively minor nature ofthe offense, they should
consider the need to build community trust and determine if alternative enforcement
will have a stronger, long-term positive impact on low level offenders. Examples of such
crimes are disorderly conduct, possession of drugs, interfering with police, and curfew.
Juvenile diversion programs that presently exist such as LADDERS are preferred and will
be expanded on as appropriate.
• Goal #2 Reduce disproportionality in DMC statistics in the St. Ambrose University traffic study
regarding traffic stops, consent searches, citations and arrests.
Education & Training
• Dr. Barnum will present his DMC study to aiiiCPD officers so there is a full understanding:
o What the results of the study mean
o How to properly define, document and submit data
o Include a lesson on dispelling the crime/race association and reiterate our expectation
that we deploy resources based on crime trends and not solely by neighborhoods or
specific populations within our community.
o Scheduled for July 24, 25, 26, 2017
• Sara Bruch (UI) will present on negative effects that police interaction has on minority
communities.
o Scheduled for July 24, 25, 26, 2017
• The department presently trains annually in cultural diversity, understanding racial profiling and
the policies, civil and criminal liability that applies. New police recruits also receive such training
at the basic police academy. We will continue to combat implicit bias through regular training.
Emphasis will be placed on supervisor training in identifying racially equitable police practices.
• Continue to train in crisis intervention, use of force with emphasis on de-escalation, verbal
influence and defense, reasons officer have discretion in arrest, etc.
o Two 40-hour classes held as of 6-9-17
Community Outreach
• Enhance problem-oriented policing and increase involvement in social organizations and
community groups. The goal is to educate the public and continually reassess what the public
wants and expects from their police agency.
• Increase neighborhood foot beat patrols and encourage officers to get out of their patrol
vehicles to engage the community and build relationships through non-enforcement
interactions. Constant interaction with minority populations will help reduce implicit bias.
o Increased foot patrols since May, 2016
• Continue and enhance ICPD's formal community policing programs such as Coffee with a Cop,
Citizen's Police Academy, Special Olympics, Shop with a Cop, Free Wheels bicycle program
(which teaches bicycle safety and donate bikes to deserving youth), etc. Ongoing
• Invite interested community members to use of force training that requires police to make
judgment calls in a matter of seconds. This will provide a better understanding of what options
officers have in various scenarios and how they prepare to make difficult decisions regarding the
use of force. The opportunity for the public to attend and participate is intended to help foster
healthy dialogue and understanding of a topic that can be quite controversial.
• Launched a police/community events calendar to enhance the effectiveness of community
outreach positions. This calendar is available to all police and city employees and will encourage
greater participation and interdepartmental cooperation. Completed and in use as of 4-1-17.
• Start a police chiefs informal committee consisting of community members to enhance their
involvement in police matters. Example of topics for discussion would be what information can
legally be released during critical incidents, review of police general orders particularly those
re lated to bias-based policing, body worn cameras and use of force. By allowing the community
to have a part in these decisions, it will build trust in the decisions we make. The City's Equity
Director and Community Police Review Board will continue to be a part of the policy review
process.
• Create innovative programs to be part of the so lution for our community members to maintain
their vehicle equipment and possess a valid driver license.
Deployment of Resources
• Deploy resources to address crime trends without targeting entire communities, particularly
communities of color. Assigned our crime analyst to develop robust system so crime trends can
be quickly identified and communicated to patrol officers 7-5-17
• Assign supervisors of community outreach unit and patrol officers to coordinate collaboration so
options can be formulated to address crime issues to reduce formal enforcement action.
Assigned to SCAT Sgt 7-5-17 to begin process
• Increase foot and bicycle patrols by police officers and community outreach officers in ID!
neighborhoods to foster dialogue between police and residents, build trust, enhance quality of
life and reduce crime. The downtown beat officer is an example of success in this effort. Full
implementation would be a long-term goal as it requires additional resources. Increased foot
patrol as of 5-1-17.
• Encourage our police chaplain unit to attend police/community events. This solves two issues: it
enhances the involvement of the chaplains and gives ICPD another tool to collaborate into the
community. Began expanded services of 5-15-17
• Maintain systems that provide checks and balances internally. This will serve as a means to
quickly audit enforcement activities, and address signs of disparate practice. This process is
being researched to determine if the records system can produce the information needed to
carry out the review. Began monthly supervisor reviews of stats 6-2017
• Form an ICPD internal disproportionate policing committee consisting of a captain, lieutenant,
sergeant, two patrol officers, and a civilian position. Mission: to develop strategies to reduce
DMC, increase trust in the community, improve internal communication/education regarding
DMC, and develop creative and supportive ways for our officers to be more effective at their
jobs. Appointed members 6-8-17. Lt-1, Sgt-3, Officer-2, civilian analyst-1.
• CALEA -continue participation in national accreditation to ensure that policies and procedures
are considered best practices. Achieved 6th reaccreditation (Meritorious status) March, 2016.
• Build better communication with our Human Rights Office. That starts with ensuring that public
copies of police reports involving hate crime and similar conduct are sent to them in a timely
manner. Completed as of 3-1-17
• While citizen complaints are one tool to address alleged acts of use of force, racial profiling, etc.
we also are keenly aware that many community members, especially young people and
minorities, are reluctant to report their concerns due to a lack of trust in law enforcement. As
such, our supervisors will continue to closely monitor officer activity and review in-car and body
camera video.
o Developing an online reporting process for commending or complaining about police
interaction. In progress Capt. Campbell as of 5-15-17.
• Continue to diversify our police force. This means not only hiring staff that reflects the diversity
of our community but also ensuring that once hired, they can remain being an individual and
have equal opportunity for sought-after assignments and promotions. This was a discussion the
Police Chief had recently with Jaso n Sole, NAACP Minnea polis Chapter. As of 5-1-17, ICPD is at
parity with black officer: population ratio {8%).
• Enhance use of Southside Precinct
o It should be a remote site serving many neighborhoods to report crimes, use as resource
center and community meetings. It should not be considered as a police outpost only
used to oversee a particular neighborhood. Assigned COR Harper office there 5-2017
Through implementation of these actions, I believe the ICPD can significantly reduce DMC and become a
national leader in community-based policing that is rooted in trust with residents. Building trust will take
time but we are committed to doing what is necessary to accomplish this goal. Lastly, the ICPD will
continue to refine our data collection in an effort to be very transparent on our progress with the entire
community.
As I continue to meet with community members and engage with our officers and staff, additional
strategies will be developed to help us reach our ultimate goal of eliminating DMC while providing
extremely high-level policing services to the community that result in safe, healthy neighborhoods for
all.
Updated items as of7-12-17 in RED font