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HomeMy WebLinkAboutsocial justice racial equity social 4th quarterCITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM Date: January 23, 2018 To: Geoff Fruin, City Manager From: Stefanie Bowers, Human Rights Coordinator & Equity Director Re: Social Justice and Racial Equity Fourth Quarter Update for 2017 Attached please find the fourth quarter Social Justice and Racial Equity Update for 2017. Included as a part of this update is the Police Department's fourth quarter report on community outreach, community presentations, cultural competency trainings, public education efforts on rights, and community partnerships. 01-25-18 IP3 Social Justice & Racial Equity Fourth Quarter Update (October-December 2017) CITY O F IOWA CITY UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE Accountab ility October 19, Iowa City earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign 's Municipal Eq uality Index, a measure of LGBTQ inclusion in municipal law, policy, and services. November 2, the Police Department, Human Resources, Neighborhood Services , Finance and Human Rights completed and reported out on the pilot toolkit on socio-economic and racial equity. November 20 , staff of the Office of Equity and Human Rights participated in a Campaign for Youth Justice meeting to address the issues faced by youth waived into adult jails. November 22 , the 2016 report on Racial Equity was published. December 1, Mayor Throgmorton invited the Mayors of Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Madison, WI to participate in a panel discussion regarding challenges and opportun ities confronting their communities in the past year. December 20 , the new Grant Management Policy went in to effect for all City departments and divisions that apply for or manage grants. The policy requires a minority impact statement that includes creating a map showing distribution of racial minorities in the city. CITY OF IOWA CITY SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITY Conversations October 3, the Center, in partnership with the University of Iowa's Ag ing and Longevity Studies Program and the Iowa United Nations Association, held its annual celebration of the UN International Day of Older Persons. This year the intergenerational, community event focused on aging in Russia, India, South Korea, and Thailand. October 4, the Police Department participated in Coffee with a Cop, which is a chance for the public to ask questions, voice concerns and have a conversation with neighborhood police officers in an informal setting. The event was held at MERGE. October 4, staff of the Office of Equity and Human Rights , the City Manager's Office, the Police Department, the Library, Neighborhood Services, Communications, Parks and Recreation , and the Mayor participated in the City Managers Roundtable. This is a recurring discussion with a different topic for each meeting; this discussion focused on the BULBS Community Policing Initiative, the National Research Center Survey, and 2 the Iowa City Climate Action Plan. Those in attendance at the Roundtable included representatives from the Black Voices Project, the Center for Worker Justice, the Congolese Community, the Community Police Review Board, the Human Rights Commission and the Johnson County Social Services-DMC Committee. October 11 , the Center hosted a potluck supper for LGBTQ and allied people of all ages in honor of National Coming Out Day. By providing an opportunity to enjoy a meal together and interact in an informal setting , the event promoted understanding between LGBTQ and allied individuals , Familiarity and improved understanding is likely to result in support for equality under the law. November 15, the City Council held its eighth Listening Post at Oaknoll Retirement Community. 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. December 6, staff of the Office of Equity and Human Rights, the City Manager's Office, the Police Department, the Library, Neighborhood Services, Communications , and Parks and Recreation participated in the City Managers Roundtable. This is a recurring discussion with a different topic for each meeting; th is discussion focused on City Assistance and Grant Opportunities Those in attendance at the Roundtable included representatives from the Black Voices Project, the Center for Worker Justice, the Congolese Community, the Community Police Review Board , the Human Rights Commission and the Johnson County Social Services-DMC Committee. December 15, the Police Department participated in Coffee with a Cop, which is a chance for the public to ask questions, voice concerns and have a conversation with neighborhood police officers in an informal setting . The event was held at Casey's General Store on Broadway Street. SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITY Justice October 30, the Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination amicus brief in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission was filed with the Supreme Court. The case will decide whether business owners can discriminate against LGBTQ people based on a religious objection. Mayor Throgmorton signed the amicus brief. October 3, Mayor Throgmorton signed a proclamation declaring October 9 "Indigenous People's Day" in Iowa City. November 6, Mayor Throgmorton signed a proclamation declaring November "National Native American Heritage Month" in Iowa City. 3 November 22, staff of the Office of Equity and Human Rights met with staff of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa to discuss its initiative to establish a racial justice center at Old Brick. December 5, Mayor Throgmorton tweeted his condemnation of all forms of discrimination citing the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case. The tweet was in response to the Supreme Courts oral arguments on the case being heard on that date. CITY OF IOWA CITY SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITY Outreach October 18, staff of the Office of Equity and Human Rights surveyed over 950 Iowa City residents who use a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) to determine whether discrimination on the basis of their public assistance source of income is a continuing problem and, if so, the severity of the problem. A report on the finding will be published in the near future. October 14, the Mayor along with the Police Department, Office of Equity and Human Rights , and City Manager's Office attended the "Refugee and Immigrant Recognition Dinner" hosted by the Refugee and Immigrant Association at the North Liberty Recreation Center. October 18, the Office of Equity and Human Rights and Iowa Legal Aid (Iowa City location) co-sponsored "Everyone Deserves a Fair Chance," a program about court debt, how such debt can contribute to housing instability, and expungement of criminal records . The program can be streamed on City Channel4 online. October 26, the City co-sponsored, and staff of the Office of Equity and Human Rights and the Police Department attended, One Iowa's annual "LGBTQ Workplace Culture Summit." November 4, recreation department co-sponsored a one day seminar for participants in G!World, grades 8- 12th. The seminar addressed community involvement, self-care, advocacy and sisterhood. Approximately forty girls of color were in attendance. November 4, December 91h-The recreation department partnered with Sankofa Outreach Connection to offer a six-week series of line and city steppers dance classes. The introductory classes were held at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center and centered on addressing health disparities of women, especially women of color. November 8-21, the Police Department co-organized an event with FAS TRAC youth group at Bruegger's Bagels to collect food for Johnson County Crisis Center. Customers bringing three cans of food to Bruegger's received a complimentary bagel with cream cheese. November 15, the Library hosted a "Hamilton" sing-a-long for teens . Attendees were encouraged to dress in costume. 4 December 1, the Police Department participated in The Mirage 2017. The Mirage celebrates diversity and inclusion on campus, raises awareness for World AIDS Day, and provides education on sexual health. The event is FREE and is open to students, faculty, staff and community members. This event is sponsored by the University of Iowa's Student Health & Wellness, the Center for Diversity & Enrichment, Student Government, Center for Student Involvement & Leadership Grant Funding Program, Associated Residence Halls, and Mpowerment Iowa City. December 2, recreation department co-sponsored a health and well ness fair with Sankofa Outreach Connection to address health disparities of minority groups and specifically women of color. December 7, the Recreation Aquatics Department met with the Iowa City School District and local non-profit organizations to discuss the offering of swim lessons through a scholarship fund. Funds will be given to applicants residing in the Iowa City area and meet the low-income requirements. 5 CITY OF IOWA ITY SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITY Training October 12, all full-time staff of Parks and Recreation participated in a two-hour training on Diversity, Privilege and Cultural Competency. The training was presented by Audrey Schroer from Synchrony. The training was part of a half day staff training workshop. November 9, staff of the Office of Equity and Human Rights and Neighborhood Development Services participated in a training held in Ankeny. The training was sponsored by The Iowa Economic Development Authority for CDBG administrators/recipients . The training was conducted by the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and included a discussion on HUD's Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing regulations and new planning process. December 19, the Police Department participated in the Government Alliance on Race and Equity's Criminal Justice Section group. Topics included emerging training models for policing and racial equity, development of a police specific racial equity tool, and best practices that cities are using to understand if their policies are informed by racial bias or not, including best practices for the collection of race data in the middle of a police interaction. 6 TO: Stefanie Bowers FROM : Captain Bill Campbell RE: DATE: DIF Reporting for ICPD -4th Quarter 2017 January 22, 2018 The Iowa City Police Department's DIF reporting for the fourth quarter of 2017 is below. COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Documentation of participation in any event, attended or presented, by a Department member to a community member or organization. 32 officers attended 312 events in the fourth quarter of 2017, for a total of 321 hours of involvement. Events included: • Continued neighborhood foot patrols and officers getting out of their patrol vehicles to engage the community and build relationships through non-enforcement interactions. • "Coffee with a Cop"-multiple events, multiple days, varied locations including Casey's on Broadway Street and Merge • "Shop with a Cop" Event with SO public contacts made and 30 children involved in actual shopping with officers. Event held at the local Target Store. • Continued use of Southside Substation by officers to complete paperwork and other tasks at this facility, being more visible and making themselves more available to the community in that area. • Human Rights Award Breakfast • "Clothe a Kid" event with local Kohl's store • Extra Patrol at local school athletic events and school functions, various events, multiple locations DIF Reporting for ICPD -4th Quarter 2017 1 • "Bus Pass Program" -provides local families and students with bus passes to provide rides to school extracurricular activities and work • Iowa City Fire Fighter Badge Pinning Ceremony • Soup Fund raiser-City Hall • Pink Patch Project and Nationai"No Shave November" cancer awareness fundraisers • Ongoing review and accreditation by CALEA (The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) to ensure policies and procedures meet national standards • Continued use and involvement by the Police Chaplain Unit COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS: Documentation of any participation in a community presentation by a Department member. 5 officers participated in 37 community presentations in the fourth quarter of 2017, totaling 36 hours of involvement. Presentations included the following topics/groups: • Defensive Tactics-Leadership Academy • "ALICE" active shooter response training-various locations • SRT presentations-Kirkwood • K9 Presentations-Kirkwood College, Big Grove, Weber School • CIT Presentation -Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services • Crime Stoppers social event -Big Grove • Field Trip Tour of ICPD CULTURAL COMPETENCY TRAINING: Documentation of any training received by a Department member involving cultural competency. Cultural competency training refers to training directed at the ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures, ethnicity and socio-economic backgrounds. 82 officers attended 157 hours oftraining during the fourth quarter. This training included: • Crisis Intervention Training (CIT)-62% of ICPD officers have already been trained in CIT. It is anticipated that all sworn officers will be trained by May, 2018. DIF Reporting for ICPD -4th Quarter 2017 2 • Police Legal Science online training -Cou rse Title: "Bias-Ba sed Profiling/Racial Profiling/Fair-Impartial Policing" Taken by all ICPD sworn officers • "Policing Black Men -Choke Hold" lecture at the University of Iowa Law School • Shelter House "Finding Home" presentation at the Film Scene • Community Connection and Stand Down at the Lee Recreation Center • Iowa Summit on Just ice and Disparities at DMAAC in Des Moines PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORTS ON RIGHTS: Documentation of any participation at an event, attended or presented by a Department member, to a community member or organization where the focus is education on an individual's rights. Six officers conducted 4 training sessions during this quarter totaling 7 hours. This included a "Know the Law" presentation to U of I Acacia Fraternity, Human Rights Award Breakfast, Refugee and Immigrant Recognition dinner and a luncheon hosted by the President of the new Iowa City Chapter of the NAACP for Department supervisory personnel. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: Documentation of any partnership between the Department and another community organization. The Department worked with community partners that led to attendance at 34 events by 11 officers who spent 52 hours engaging with community members. Below are some highlights and noteworthy outcome from those partnerships. • All new "B.U .L.B.S!" program began in October. Building Unity Linking Businesses for Safety, or B.U.L.B.S!, is a partnership with local repair shops that helps those who cannot afford to replace burnt out lights on their vehicles by replacing them for free. Iowa City Police Officers who pull over a driver with a non-functioning headlight, taillight, brake light, turn signal, or license plate light can offer a voucher to drivers to have the burnt-out bulb replaced at no charge at one of the participating shops listed below. While officers can still issue citations for equipment violations, the goal of B.U.L.B.S ! is to give an option to officers to assist a driver experiencing financial or personal hardship a means to avoid costly fines, repairs and the inconvenience and frustration of being stopped due to a burnt-out light. 38 vouchers were given out during this quarter. (https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/1bc9246} DIF Reporting for ICPD-4th Quarter 2017 3 • Multiple contacts with Elder Abuse Task Force, Coalition for Racial Ju stice, Johnson County Human Trafficking Coalition, Johnson County Suicide Prevention Coalition, Oaknoll Retirement Community Outreach Program, Johnson County Drug Task Force, and Sexual Assault Investigation Team • Iowa City Downtown District-To champion the Iowa City Downtown District as a progressive, healthy, and culturally vibrant urban center of the region. • The Downtown Liaison continues to represent the Iowa City Police Department and participate in the White House's Data-Driven Justice Initiative. This is a coalition of city, county, and state governments who have committed to using data-driven strategies to divert low-level offenders with mental illness out of the criminal justice system and change approaches to pre-trial incarceration • The Downtown Liaison's partnership with the Johnson County Local Homeless Coordinating Board (LHCB), the Frequent User Systems Engagement (FUSE) sub- committee and the winter Low-Barrier Shelter sub-committee. The FUSE sub-committee has developed a "housing first" initiative which will provide housing to chronically homeless individuals with a goal of reducing their use of emergency services. During this quarter the FUSE project received more than $3 million in federal and state money. The 24-unit project will likely break ground in early 2018. The winter Low-Barrier Shelter sub-committee has identified and secured a location for the fourth consecutive year. The Winter Extreme Temperature Shelter (WET Shelter) is currently open and located at 821 South Clinton Street. This alternate housing provides shelter for individuals who may be intoxicated or are otherwise ineligible to receive housing at the Emergency Housing Shelter, therefore reducing the use of other emergency services and provide "housing first " during the winter months • The ICPD continues to collaborate with the Iowa City Bi ke Library to repurpose abandoned bicycles impounded by the Department. Instead of being auctioned or recycled as scrap metal, the Iowa City Bike Library refurbishes some of the bicycles which are then lent out through their organization. The remaining bicycles are collected by Working Bikes. Working Bikes is a non-profit organization that rescues discarded bicycles and gives them new life by redistributing them in global communities. The police department and other City Staff also repurpose unclaimed bicycles for community outreach with disadvantaged youth and adults. DIF Reporting for ICPD-4th Quarter 2017 4 The Department continues to provide extra patrol when requested by community members or organizations; and foot patrol where criminal activity or safety concerns have been identified. DIF Reporting for I CPO-4th Quarter 2017 5