HomeMy WebLinkAboutSJRE Second Quarter 201809-13-18
C I T Y 0 F I 0 W A C I T Y IP12
MEMORANDUM
Date: September 13, 2018
To: Simon Andrew, Assistant to the City Manager
From: Stefanie Bowers, Human Rights Coordinator & Equity Director
Re: Social Justice and Racial Equity Second Quarter Update for 2018
Attached please find the second quarter Social Justice and Racial Equity Update for 2018.
Included as a part of this update are the Police Department's and the Library's second quarter
reports.
Social Justice & Racial Equity
Second Quarter Update (April-June 2018)
CITY OF IOWA CITY
UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE
CITY OF IOWA CITY SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITY
Accountability
Resolution Adopting the Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant Allocations for Fiscal Year 2018.
Allocations were made to the Center for Worker Justice, Shelter House, and Healthy Kids School-
Based Clinics.
Attendance at Government Alliance on Race and Equity Monthly Membership Meetings.
Attendance by staff from Human Rights, the Library, Parks and Recreation, Police, and
Cable at The Urgency of Equity: Ending Racism in Youth-Serving Institutions held in Coralville,
Iowa.
Updated the list of attorneys and non-profits in the state of Iowa providing immigration-related
legal
services on the City's webpage. The list is published by the American Friends Service
Committee.
City's membership in the National Fair Housing Alliance renewed.
The Police Substation started regular hours from 1-4:30 PM Monday thru Friday.
Sponsored a Youth Job Fair held at Mercer Aquatic Center. Youth ages 14-19 years old attended
to learn about employers and organizations with current and summer job openings. Co-sponsors
included the Iowa City Community School District, United Action for Youth, and the University of
Iowa's Tippie College of Business.
Renewed membership in the Government All iance on Race and Equity.
Sponsored a Building Business Basics Workshop that was held at the Iowa City Kirkwood
Community College campus. Additional sponsors included Hills Bank and Trust Company,
University of Iowa Community Credit Union, Kirkwood Community College, Center for Worker
Justice, MidWest One Bank, and the Sankofa Outreach Connection. Workshop topics included
credit repair, business ideation, and reaching your customers.
Renewed membership in the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC).
Attendance at Government Alliance on Race & Equity Membership Network Meeting.
Translated Civil Rights brochures to Swahili. This is in addition to Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, and
French African.
Students who met the requirement of having a grade point average of 3.0 or higher toured Civil Rights
landmarks and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) at no cost this summer. The events
of this year's trip were recorded in the form of a documentary by City Channel 4. The Mayor and
Council member Cole along with Community Outreach Assistant Henri Harper, founder of Fas Trac,
participated in this tour. Fas Trac is a program for high school students to assist with their academic
performance, community involvement, and preparation for college or careers.
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Teen Dynamics Program started by Parks and Recreation to encourage art, recreation, and life
skills in teens.
The Fire Department implemented a program, Fired Up About Reading, which encourages kids to read
more. Students fill out a reading log for 6 -8 weeks, counting the minutes they read outside of school.
The top readers in each classroom are rewarded for their hard work by becoming firefighters for a day.
C ITY OF I OWA CITY SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITY
Conversations
Council Listening Post was held at The Farmer's Market. The Listening Posts provide opportunities for
the community to engage with City leaders on topics that are important to them in an informal setting.
City Manager's Roundtable held at Merge. Participants included representatives from the Black Voices
Project, the Center for Worker Justice, Johnson County Neighborhood Centers, Immigrant and
Refugee Alliance, and faith communities. Topics discussed included preserving Black History in Iowa
City and updates from the Police and Parks and Recreation.
City Manager's Roundtable held at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area. Participants included
representatives from the Black Voices Project, the Center for Worker Justice, faith communities, the
Johnson County Neighborhood Centers, Immigrant and Refugee Alliance, and the Disproportionate
Juvenile Minority Contact Committee. Jeff Kellbach, the Aging Specialist for Johnson County, spoke
to the group and then updates on summer activities were provided from Parks and Recreation and
the Library.
Queso with a Cop at Pancheros Mexican Grill. This is an event that allows an opportunity to ask
questions, voice concerns, and get to know police in a relaxed setting.
Coffee with a Cop at Iowa City Pride. This is an event that allows an opportunity to ask questions,
voice concerns, and get to know police in a relaxed setting. The police had a booth at the festival that
featured free iced coffee from the Java House.
Town to Gown quarterly meeting with the University of Iowa included the University of Iowa's
Chief Diversity Office, University of Iowa's Department of Public Safety, City staff including the
Police Chief, Equity Director and Communications Coordinator, and the Executive Director of the
Iowa City Downtown District. The discussion centered around opportunities to work together and
forge alliances.
The Place We Call Home: Affordable Housing in Johnson County, City staff from Neighborhood
and Development Services attended this presentation sponsored by the University of Iowa's Cup
of Justice Chief Diversity Office and presented by the Executive Director of the Johnson County
Affordable Homes Coalition.
Hosted CIVIC group of mayors and vice governors from the Philippines. Several representatives
from City boards and commissions participated in addition to the Mayor.
Hosted Mandela Fellows at City Hall. Participants included the City Manager's Office, the Police
Department, and the Mayor. The Mandela Fellows are young African leaders who are between the
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ages of 25 and 35 , and have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovation and
positive impact in their organizations, institutions, communities, and countries.
The City Book Club read The Hate U Give and had a book discussion at the Library on
advancing social justice and ending inequities. The Hate U Give is a young adult novel by Angie
Thomas. It follows a protagonist drawn to activism after she witnesses the police shooting of her
friend.
The Library created booklists for websites "Get Informed: #Me Too" and "Confronting Racism in
America."
Two international fellows from the Professional Fellows Program for Inclusive Disability
Employment met with the Mayor, former Council Member Botchway and City staff from Human
Rights, and the City Manager's Office to discuss how local governments implement the
Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Library sponsored intergenerational story time at Emerson Point Assisted Living.
Staff of the Library, Human Rights, Parks and Recreation, and City Manager's Office participated
in the Second Annual City of Iowa City Youth Empowered to Serve Day. Twenty-five area youth
came to City Hall and worked in groups to create a mock budget, tour the library's internal
operations, and visit the Robert A. Lee Community Recreational Center.
The Library sponsored its monthly book club at Elizabeth Tate High School. The book selected,
The Hate U Give, is a novel about a young adult who is drawn to activism after she witnesses the
police shooting of her friend.
Author Linda Skeers visited the Library, promoting her book on trailblazing women who defied
sexist stereotypes and brought a message of gender equality.
C I T Y (' F ,,.... '"'A CITY S 0 C I A L J U 5 T I C E & R A C I A L E Q U IT Y
Justice
The Police Department, the University of Iowa's Department of Public Safety, and the Iowa City
branch of the NAACP hosted a panel-led community conversation on hate crimes and their impact on
our community.
Impediments to Fair Housing Survey released. The survey reported out on fifty-two respondents who
looked for housing in the last year. Of the respondents who looked for housing,
twenty-five (25) reported having a landlord refuse to rent to them because of their use of a Housing
Choice Voucher.
Attendance at the Government Alliance on Ra ce and Equity monthly Criminal Justice/Policing meetings.
The City, with the Mayor's concurrence, is participating in several amicus briefs being written in cases
challenging the administration's termination of temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians. The
case is NAACP v. U.S. Dep't of Homeland Security, et al. The brief has three sections, 1) a section
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on harm to cities and counties in rescinding TPS for Haitians, 2) a section arguing that the court has
jurisdiction to review the NAACP's constitutional claim, and 3) a section supporting that claim (equal
protections/animus).
Celebration of Citizen Diplomacy Dinner honored the Police Department. The annual event is
sponsored by the Council for International Visitors to Iowa Cities.
The Annual Juneteenth Celebration held at Mercer Park had participation from several City
departments including Police, Fire, and Parks and Recreation. Juneteenth is a historical community
event that commemorates the June 19, 1865, announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas. The
City was a co-sponsor of this event.
Police Captain Denise Brotherton received an Iowa Police Chiefs Association award for her work as
chairperson of the Department's Disproportionate Minority Contact Committee and her role in creating
and overseeing Building Unity Linking Businesses for Safety, or B.U.L.B.S!, which 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.
CITY OF IOWA CITY SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITY
Outreach
Let's Get Growing: Gardening Workshop was held at Wetherby Park. Attendees engaged in hands-on
gardening activities, learned easy tips for nurturing plants, and sampled tasty, garden fresh recipes.
Grow: Johnson County and the Global Food project of Johnson County led the workshop.
Book displays at the Library memorialized the 50th anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s
assassination, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, and Pride
Month.
Monthly "special access" hours at the Library featured environment and activities tailored for patrons
on the autism spectrum.
She Swims Too! event held by Parks and Recreation. She Swims Too! is a program that aims to
empower, celebrate & encourage women of all generations and backgrounds to learn or enhance
their skills in swimming.
STEM mini-camp held by Parks and Recreation for 5th to 7th grade youth.
Beginning gardening class series hosted by Parks and Recreation.
Free introductory yoga and cardia classes offered by Parks and Recreation.
Iowa Civil Rights History presented to four West High AP Government classes.
Drag Storytime Party was held at the Library.
A first-time multicultural music festival, Off Broadway, was sponsored by the City. The live music
event featured soul music, Latin music, and food trucks for community members to come for
lunch or a snack.
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Iowa City Parks and Recreation hosted a sports night. The family friendly event with soccer and
basketball skill challenges and activities for youth was made possible by the INVEST Health
initiative with funding by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Reinvestment Fund.
C I TY OF IOWA CITY SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITY
Training
Staff from the City Manager's Office, Human Rights, and Communications attended Facilitating
Dialogue for Community Engagement sponsored by the Office of Outreach and Engagement at the
University of Iowa.
City staff participated in De-Escalation Strategies for Aggression and Mental Health that was held at
City Hall and presented by Synchrony.
Staff of Human Resources attended a Transgender in the Workplace session at the National Public
Employer Labor Relations Association Conference.
Staff in Human Rights and Neighborhood and Development Services attended The Color of Law: A
Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. It was sponsored by the Davenport
Civil Rights Commission. The day-long training included informative sessions on Neighborhoods and
Eliminating Bias, and Housing and Opportunity.
The City offered two complimentary Fair Housing Trainings to area landlords, realtors and property
managers. The training was conducted by Linda Grathwohl, a supervisor for the Iowa Civil Rights
Commission.
Participant in the Government Alliance on Race and Equity's Commit to Action webinar.
The City, along with the Iowa Institute of Public Health Research and Policy and INVEST Health,
sponsored Healthy Neighborhoods, Healthy Communities: A Symposium for Public Health,
Health Care and Community Development Professionals. Dr. Megan Sandel from Boston
University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, and Angela Mingo, the Director of Community
Relations at Columbus Children's Hospital, shared their experience and ideas as participants
considered how we can best work together as a community to leverage resources and expertise to
improve health in the Iowa City area.
All City staff completed the online Diversity Made Simple course. The training included a conversation
about what diversity is, why it is important, and how to embrace it.
J
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JOWA CITy
TO:
FROM :
RE:
DATE:
Stefanie Bowers
Captain Bill Campbell
DIF Reporting for ICPD -2N° QUARTER 2018
July 24, 2018
The Iowa City Police Department's DIF reporting for the second quarter of 2018 is below.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Documentation of participation in any event, attended or presented, by a
Department member to a community member or organization.
44 officers attended 365 events in the second quarter of 2018 for a total of 471 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.
Foot patrols, business checks, house watch and school visits, extra patrol per specific
requests from citizens and/or businesses.
• 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. The substation is also utilized for activities and meetings with
local youth.
• ALICE training sessions
• Party in the Park-various locations in IC neighborhoods
• Juneteenth Celebration -Mercer Park
• Coffee with a Cop
• Free Lunch Program (police officers served meals)
• School visits -multiple locations in the ICCSD
• ICCSD Athletic Booster Pancake Breakfast -West High School
DIF Reporting for ICPD-2nd Quarter 2018
• K9 Presentations
• Jazz Fest-downtown Iowa City
• Kites for Kids Event-City Park
• Police Unity Tour-Washington, DC
• Called to Be Bald -Be the Match Fundraiser for cancer awareness
• Special Olympics Fundraiser
• Southeast Substation-Summer hours began this quarter
• Bus Pass Program -30 female participants, 5 male participants-20 City High School
students, 10 West High School students, 5 Northwest Jr High students
COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS: Documentation of any participation in a community presentation by a
Department member.
12 officers participated in 34 community presentations in the second quarter of 2018, totaling
66 hours of involvement. Presentations included the following topics/groups:
• Citizens Police Academy SCAT Presentation-JECC
• Citizens Police Academy SRT Presentation -JECC
• Citizens Police Academy K9 Presentation -JECC
• Citizens Police Academy Bomb Demonstration-JECC
• ALICE-various locations
• CIT-various locations
• Honor Guard Ceremonies-various locations
DIF Reporting for I CPO-2nd Quarter 2018
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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.
10 officers attended 103 hours of training at 9 events during the second quarter of 2018. This
training included:
• Leadership for Equity and Inclusion-University of Iowa
• Crisis Intervention Trainings (CIT)
• 2018 DMC Conference-Coralville
PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORTS ON RIGHTS: Documentation of any participation at an event, attended or
presented by a Deportment member, to a community member ar organization where the focus is
education an an individual's rights.
No Public Education on Rights presentations were given during this quarter.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: Documentation of any partnership between the Deportment and another
community organization.
The Department worked with community partners that led to attendance at 68 events by 8
officers who spent 159 hours engaging with community members. Below are some highlights
and noteworthy outcomes from those partnerships.
• Iowa City Downtown District-To champion the Iowa City Downtown District as a
progressive, healthy, and culturally vibrant urban center ofthe region.
• Citizens Police Academy-all law enforcement agencies in Johnson County present a 14-
week program for participating community members that covers a vast number of policing
topics. Officers from the Department both facilitate the Academy and present on many
topics.
• The Downtown Liaison continues to represent the Iowa City Police Department and
participate in the 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.
DIF Reporting for ICPD-2nd Quarter 201 B
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• The Downtown Liaison partners 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. Groundbreaking on the 24-unit project took place on April 5, 2018.
• RAGBRAI Planning-The Department continued its preparations for the arrival of RAGBRAI
on July 27, 2018. In conjunction with many other local, State and private partners, the
Police Department is preparing to welcome thousands of visitors to our community. Major
areas of focus have been traffic planning, campground security and the safety of the
thousands of people expected to attend the "Book It to Iowa City Bash!".
• The ICPD continues to collaborate with the Iowa City Bike 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 that rescues discarded bicycles and gives them new life by
redistributing them in global communities. The Downtown Liaison worked with staff and
the City Manager to amend City Code and worked towards repurposing unclaimed bicycles
by turning them over with disadvantaged youth and adults. During the 2nd quarter, a total
of 3 abandoned bicycles were turned over to the homeless.
• Additional activities, meetings and events took place within the following community
partnerships: NAACP, FBI, US Attorney's Office, Johnson County Attorney's Office, Johnson
County Disproportionate Minority Contact Committee, City Manager's Diversity Roundtable,
Iowa City Downtown District, Iowa City Community School District, University of Iowa Off
Campus Advisory Board, Special Olympics of Iowa, Safety Village, Elder Abuse Task Force,
Johnson County Human Trafficking Coalition, United Way Social Services Work Group, 4
Oakes Youth Shelter, Johnson County Drug Task Force, Sexual Assault Investigation Team,
The Dream Center, Broadway Neighborhood Center, Domestic Violence Intervention
Program, Johnson County Suicide Prevention, United Way Social Services Work Group and
Emergency Services Camp for youth.
The Department continues to provide extra patrol at citizen's requests and foot patrols where
criminal activity or safety concerns have been identified. These patrols have resulted in over 345
citizen contacts. The Downtown Liaison Officer was on bike/foot patrol during 53 days of this quarter,
totaling 220 hours and conducting 106 extra patrols.
DIF Reporting for I CPO -2nd Quarter 2018 4
IOWA CITY
PUBLIC LIBRARY
Social Justice and Racial Equity Update
Iowa City Public Library
June 25, 2018
March 2018:
• Three meetings of the Book Club at Elizabeth Tate Alternative High School; two
students attended each meeting.
April 2018:
• Popup book display memorializing the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Hosted a City of Iowa City staff book group discussion on "The Hate U Give," by Angie
Thomas on April 24; 19 participants.
• Created a booklist for website: "Get Informed: #MeToo"
• Three meetings of the Book Club at Elizabeth Tate Alternative High School; two
students at each meeting.
• 14 diversity programs for children (storytimes and outreach)
• Earth Day storytimes for children (1 featuring local activist group 100 Grannies)
May 2018:
• Display: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month; novels written by Asian Americans
• Display: Jewish American Heritage Month; novels written by Jewish Americans
• Booklist for website on Confronting Racism in America
• Display: "What would Shuri (from "Black Panther") read?; in the Teen Center
• Two meetings of the Book club at Elizabeth Tate Alternative High School; two students
at each meeting.
• 4 Diversity Outreach storytimes
• Intergenerational storytime at Emerson Point Assisted Living
• Linda Skeers author visit, promoting her book on trailblazing women who defied sexist
stereotypes and bringing gender equality message to attendees
• Special Access early open Browsing Hour and special art activities
June 2018
• Display: Pride Month; highlight our Fiction, Nonfiction, and Children's collections
written by members of the LGBTQ+ community
• Popup book display for "Pride Month"
• Display: Pride Month in the Teen Center
• Display: "What would Shuri read?, new Young Adult Fiction
• World Wednesday -Navajo circle weaving; Ramada n moon mobiles; Mancala game
from Ethiopia for children
• Special Access -Watercolors; Dance Marathon; movie showing of "The Incredibles"
• Pride Fest crafts for ch ildren
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6/16/18 Pride Parade
Library staff and members of the Book Cart Drill Team participated in the 2018 Pride Parade.
We also had an information table at Pride Fest.
Bookmobile activities:
April:
• During National Bookmobile Week, an Iowa City Transit Bus partnered with the
Bookmobile at regularly scheduled Lemme, Grant Wood, and Twain Elementary stops
to promote the Summer Library Bus program.
• Continued regularly scheduled stops at Grant Wood Elementary, Breckenridge Estates,
Parkview Mobile Home Community, Regency Mobile Home Community, and Mark
Twain Elementary to serve children from diverse backgrounds.
• Continued monthly preschool stops, specifically Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center,
Grant Wood Elementary, and Alexander Elementary to reach diverse children
May:
• The Bookmobile participated in the Twain Elementary Family Night to promote
summer usage, the Summer Library Bus, and the Summer Reading Program. Continued
to build connections with diverse children.
• Continued regularly scheduled stops at Grant Wood Elementary, Breckenridge Estates,
Parkview Mobile Home Community, Regency Mobile Home Community, and Mark
Twain Elementary, serving children from diverse backgrounds.
• Continued monthly preschool stops, specifically Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center,
Grant Wood Elementary, and Alexander Elementary to reach diverse children
June:
• The summer schedule started, adding stops at Bickford Senior Living, Weber
Elementary, Alexander Elementary, Wetherby Park, Frauenholtz-Miller Park, and Forest
View Mobile Home Community.
• Continued regularly scheduled stops at Grant Wood Elementary, Breckenridge Estates,
Parkview Mobile Home Community, Regency Mobile Home Community, and Mark
Twain Elementary, serving children from diverse backgrounds.
• Stories in the Park programs began Monday (Willow Creek), Wednesday (Wetherby)
and Friday (Mercer) morning.
• The Bookmobile attended Party in the Park programs at Pheasant Hill Park, Chadek
Green Park, Wetherby Park, and Longfellow Nature Walk, meeting with diverse
audiences at all stops.
• The Bookmobile participated in the Juneteenth activities on June 23 at Mercer Park
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