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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSJRE_Q4_Report_2Social Justice & Racial Equity Fourth Quarter Update (October – December 2018) In the fall, the office of Equity and Human Rights began advertising in the City and West High newspapers to increase knowledge and awareness of local anti-discrimination laws, and alert students on how to file a complaint if they believe they have been discriminated against. The City was one of three Iowa communities to earn a perfect score of 100 on the seventh annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the only nationwide rating system of LGBTQ inclusion in municipal law, policy and services. This is the fifth consecutive year that Iowa City has earned this score. The scores were announced on October 8. The Mayor proclaimed Monday, October 8, as Indigenous People’s Day in Iowa City. A growing number of local governments have recognized that, as our understanding of history changes, so must our commemorative events. The Office of Equity and Human Rights participated in the monthly Government Alliance on Racial Equity meetings. In November, the Office of Equity and Human Rights updated the City’s On-Line Human Rights Resources with the most recent contact information for immigration attorneys. The list is published by the American Friends Service Committee for the State of Iowa. Neighborhood and Development Services, Parks and Recreation, and the Human Rights Commission provided financial support to the Iowa City South District Neighborhood’s Thanksgiving Feast. It was held at Faith Academy on Friday, November 16. City staff that included representatives from the City Manager’s Office, Office of Equity and Human Rights, Communications and Police met with the University of Iowa Chief Diversity Office at the quarterly meeting. The agenda included an update on the University’s search for an Associate Vice President and Diversity and Inclusion Director, the University of Iowa’s Diversity Plan, and the City’s Social Justice and Racial Equity grants. AccountabilityCITy OF IOwA CITy : SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITy 1 City of Iowa CitySJRE Q4 2018 In December, the Office of Equity and Human Rights emailed over 650 persons on the wait list for a Housing Choice Voucher to encourage them to take the Fair Housing Choice survey. The email also provided a link or the option for a survey to be mailed to them with a return stamped envelope. The City is conducting the survey to evaluate fair housing choice. October 3, rapper and actor Common discussed his memoir, One Day It’ll All Make Sense at the Iowa City Book Festival. The City provided funding to support Common’s visit to the community. To support the visit, the Mayor signed a proclamation declaring October 6th as Common Day. Staff of the Office of Equity and Human Rights met with South Korean delegates to discuss the City’s work in protecting human rights at a local level. The City’s Staff Book Club read and discussed The Boys in the Bunkhouse: Servitude and Salvation in the Heartland by Dan Barry. The book revisits the exploitation and abuse of a group of men with intellectual disability in Atalissa, Iowa. The Mayor and City Council members visited with residents of the South District Neighborhood Association. The event was held on October 27 at the Broadway Neighborhood Center. The Senior Center offered Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity (a class with discussion) during the fall term. It also held an Intergenerational Día de los Muertos celebration on November 1. The event included conversations and some educational activities related to Mexican cultural traditions (music, food, movie). The City Council held a Listening Post on November 28 at weber Elementary. Listening Posts are opportunities for community members to meet with Council members and discuss issues affecting them or of concern to them. In partnership with ImOn, the library installed a phone in December in the west lobby vestibule where people can make free local phone calls. In December, the Fire Department concluded the semester of Fired-Up About Reading program at Alexander Elementary. This is a program where fire department mentors meet routinely with students to read books, explore the immeasurable value of reading, and examine jobs in service to the public. Throughout the program, students log the number of minutes they read each day, with many students logging a total of several hundred minutes. Students who have logged the most minutes enjoy being able to serve as firefighters for a day. ConversationsCITy OF IOwA CITy : SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITy The October City Manager’s Roundtable was held at the Kirkwood Regional Center. Kristine Bullock and Senator Dave Jacoby discussed the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council and the work it does. The Southeast Regional STEM Office is located at the Kirkwood Regional Center, which was built by Kirkwood Community College on land owned by the University of Iowa. The STEM Council is the only partnership in the US between a state university and a community college. There are approximately 600 high school students attending 15 “academies” at the Kirkwood Center. These academies allow them to earn college credits while in high school. The December City Manager’s Roundtable was held at the Library. Library staff and Parks and Recreation staff presented on their progress on using racial equity and socioeconomic toolkits. The Black Voices Project, the Center for worker Justice, and the Refugee and Immigrant Association were in attendance at the meeting along with representatives from several City Departments. 2 City of Iowa CitySJRE Q4 2018 with the Mayor’s concurrence the City signed on to the comments opposing the Administration’s proposed amendments to the public charge rule. On October 10, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a proposed rule related to public charge in the Federal Register. The proposed rule changes, without legitimate basis, centuries-old law governing who may be excluded from the United States or refused permanent legal status based upon their receipt of public benefits. Staff in the Office of Equity and Human Rights participated in The Support Trans Lives rally held in October. More than 100 Iowa City activists gathered on the Old Capital grounds to rally for trans rights after an administration proposal that same month excluded trans and non-binary gender identities. JusticeCITy OF IOwA CITy : SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITy 3 City of Iowa CitySJRE Q4 2018 The Office of Equity and Human Rights presented to the Environmental Justice class on October 5. The discussion centered around the City’s racial equity initiatives. In October the Office of Equity and Human Rights released a memorandum that provides guidance for employers on using criminal background checks as part of the hiring process. The memorandum was created to assist businesses, landlords and property managers in avoiding discrimination claims being filed against them. The memorandum is available on the City’s website and mailed to area businesses. Staff of Neighborhood and Development Services continue to work on the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing, including outreach to various stakeholder groups. Transit offered free rides on Election Day. The purpose in offering free rides was to remove transportation as a barrier, and help people get to the polls and exercise their right to vote. The Office of Equity and Human Rights, with the assistance of the Communications Department, created an on-line submittal form for its Funding Request Form. Now, community members and groups can submit their applications for funding 24/7 for the Human Rights Commission to consider at their regularly scheduled meetings. This form also meets ADA requirements. The Office of Equity and Human Rights presented on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, Just Housing for All at the Mediation Services of Eastern Iowa’s November conference. Neighborhood and Development Services grants were awarded for Thanksgiving Feast at Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County. The South District Neighborhood Association was also a sponsor of the event. In December, the City began accepting applications for Firefighters. The news release notes that the City is seeking candidates representing diversity in terms of gender, race, and ethnicity and in qualifications and experience who are well rounded and have a desire to provide the highest level of service to the community. Applications are due by mid- January 2019. OutreachCITy OF IOwA CITy : SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITy In December, Police Officers took area kids shopping as part of the Holidays with Heroes event. Children were paired with uniformed Officers to shop for necessity items, as well as gifts for family members and themselves. Thirty-five children were selected, and twenty Officers and employees volunteered their time to assist with this event. The Fire Department joined the Police Department in December to support Hy- Vee’s Hams for the Holidays program. Police officers and firefighters assisted with distributing holiday hams at the Police Sub-Station located at Pepperwood Plaza. 4 City of Iowa CitySJRE Q4 2018 The Office of Equity and Human Rights participated in the 2nd Annual LGBTQ Workplace Culture Summit. The event provided resources for employers, LGBTQ employees, and allies to help them create safe and inclusive work environments. The all-day event was held at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. The City was an Ally sponsor of the event. Staff of the Library participated in a webinar presented by the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE). The webinar discussed concepts and approaches libraries can use to reduce racial barriers in their work, with the end goal to be improved service for all patrons and staff. Staff from Neighborhood and Development Services, Equity and Human Rights, and the City Manager’s Office attended the State of Poverty in Johnson County forum at the Johnson County Health and Human Services Building. The forum included presentations by state and local experts, including the Child and Family Policy Center, Iowa Policy Project, Iowa women’s Foundation, and United way. The event kicked off a series of action planning meetings focused on collaboratively developing strategies to address issues of poverty in our community. TrainingCITy OF IOwA CITy : SOCIAL JUSTICE & RACIAL EQUITy Representatives from the Police Department, Communications, and Equity and Human Rights attended the workshop, Creating Welcoming Environments, in November hosted by One Iowa. The training included an icebreaker activity related to creating a safe and welcoming environment, overview of terminology, and learning multiple specific applicable skills for creating a safe and welcoming environment. 6 City of Iowa CitySJRE Q4 2018 1 Social Justice and Racial Equity Fourth Quarter Update Children of all Ages The World Language Circle Time program was held on four consecutive Mondays in October. This program, geared toward children ages five through eight, met after school and focused on a different world language each week, eventually encompassing Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, and French by the program's completion. Children heard a story in English and the highlighted world language, and then completed activities and crafts related to the story. They also discussed where the world language comes from and how to interact with a language you don't know. This program was designed to "give kids early exposure to language learning in a fun way" and introduce "healthy language learning habits they can eventually take with them to school" when they formally begin instruction in a second language. Intergenerational Outreach Storytime was held at Emerson Point Assisted Living facility in Iowa City on Tuesday, October 2. At this program, residents of Emerson Point along with parents and young children gathered for an interactive storytime presented collaboratively by an ICPL children's librarian and the activities director of Emerson Point. Early literacy components like books, songs, flannel stories, fingerplays, rhymes, and instruments were part of the event, and traditional, folklore- focused stories and songs were selected in order that they might hold special meaning and memory for the older residents in attendance. Following storytime, snacks and a craft were available to all. This program seeks to decrease the isolation of older adults and forge connections across generations in our community. Dia de Los Muertos Celebration was a family event held on Saturday, October 13, featuring local Latino dance group Ballet Folklorico Corazon Latino. After a performance and lesson by this group, attendees viewed the film adaptation of Danza!, a book by Duncan Tonatiuh. Danza is a celebration of Mexico's rich history of dance through the story of Amalia Hernandez, founder of El Ballet Folklorico de Mexico. Those in attendance also engaged in some traditional Mexican handicrafts such as papel picado, or "perforated paper" designs. During the second half of November, the children's room featured a book display of current and "own voices" Native American books for children of all ages in honor of Native American Heritage Month. Hanukkah Storytime occurred on Wednesday, December 5. This program featured Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz of Congregation Agudas Achim in Iowa City sharing stories with those in attendance. Children and families at this program learned about some of the history and traditions of Hanukkah from a prominent member of the local Jewish community. During the first part of December, the children's room featured a book display highlighting Global Human Rights Day, which has been observed annually on Monday, December 10 since 1950. Copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in kid-friendly language were available, along with books spotlighting elements of the declaration such as the right to health, education, nutrition, play, and more. 2 Across the 4th quarter, ICPL children's librarians traveled to four HACAP preschool sites and seven public preschool sites with high FRL populations in attendance, bringing outreach storytimes to around 100 children. These outreach visits utilized books, songs, fingerplays, puppets, instruments and more to advance students' early literacy curriculum. Community & Access Services In October Library staff met with students in the Iowa City Community School District’s Transition Center. Students toured the Library, heard about the many collection, programs and services the Library offers, and asked questions about how they can use the Library. The goal of the tour is to help persons with disabilities know about the many resources available to them at the Library and make connections with staff who are willing to help as needed. In October, the Library hosted VoteArts, a nonpartisan organization that shares information about how to register to vote. VoteArts shares voting information in between live music songs. In October, the Library worked with the Iowa United Nations Association and City of Literature to provide space for a display commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In November Library staff curated a display of Library materials in honor of Native American Heritage Month. The Library continues to translate information into the many languages spoken by members of our community. The “How to Get a Library Card” and “Ride & Read” information was translated into Swahili and delivered in person lo local African grocery stores and the two Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County sites. Library staff continued their work on the Equity Toolkit initiative, seeking information about how members of our community get information about the Library’s collections, programs and services. Library staff solicited information from the City Manager’s Roundtable. This group of citizens and City staff represent diverse populations in our community and provided invaluable information about sharing information about the Library with our community. In October the Bookmobile went to the Mercer Park Tot Time Monster Mash and Iowa City Halloween Carnival, both hosted by the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department. We saw many new community members and shared information about the Bookmobile and Library. At the Halloween Carnival the Bookmobile hosted 250 visitors and checked out 69 items. On December 14, 2018, the Library was closed for staff Inservice Day. All staff attended a two-hour workshop called Autism Spectrum Disorder: Knowledge, Understanding, Support - What Works. This session was presented by Sue Askeland – Northwest AEA speech pathologist and a member of the autism resource team and a Grant Wood AEA autism consultant for 37 years (she retired in 2017). Also presenting was Joel Wesselink, a University of Iowa employee and autism expert and Jenny Winegarden, Associate Program Director of ARC of Eastern Iowa. Inservice Day attendees also learned about Supporting All Patrons: LGBTQ Allyship, from Becky Smith, Director of Youth Engagement for Iowa Safe Schools, which focuses on transgender, gender fluid, and gender-nonconforming patrons. DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2018 TO: Stefanie Bowers FROM: Captain Denise Brotherton RE: DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th QUARTER 2018 DATE: January 8, 2019 The Iowa City Police Department’s DIF reporting for the fourth 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. 38 officers attended 113 events in the fourth quarter of 2018 for a total of 200 hours of involvement. Events included: • Though the weather was not always cooperative officers still continued neighborhood foot business checks, house watch and school visits, and extra patrol per specific requests from citizens and/or businesses. The Downtown Liaison Officers kept high visibility in the Downtown District. • The Southside Substation continued open hours during the week. Community Outreach Assistant Harper and Community Outreach Officer Hayes met with several community members who stopped by needing assistance or just wanting to chat. COA Harper handed out bus passes during these open hours as part of the Bus Pass Program. • Holiday with Heroes – previously Shop with a Cop. Thanks to generous donations from community members Iowa City Police Officers took at risk youth and other children in need holiday shopping for clothes and gifts. Sergeant Derek Frank with a happy shopper. DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2018 2 • Breakfast with Heroes – The residents of Walden Place invited local first responders to join them for breakfast and conversation. This has been an annual event and residents and officers always enjoy great food and company. Officer Andy Rich, Captain Bill Campbell, and Captain Denise Brotherton • Hams for the Holidays – Hy Vee provided hams for officers to hand out to 300 community members outside of the substation. DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2018 3 • University of Iowa LGBTQ Mirage Event • Alice Training Sessions • Coffee with a Cop • Free Lunch Program (police officers served meals) • School visits - multiple locations in the ICCSD • Gun Safety & De-Escalation Community Training Sessions • Halloween Spooktacular and Trunk or Treat • NAACP Awards Banquet – Chief Matherly received an award! • Christmas Meal Giveaway – Officer Hayes and Detective Cook delivered holiday meals prepared by Hy Vee to families in need throughout our community. • RVAP Open House – Officers enjoyed coffee and donuts with our partners at RVAP DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2018 4 • Monsoon Open House – Another opportunity to enjoy good food with our community partners. • Project Lifesaver COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS: Documentation of any participation in a community presentation by a Department member. 8 officers participated in 38 community presentations in the fourth quarter of 2018, totaling 147 hours of involvement. Presentations included the following topics/groups: • University of Iowa Criminal Justice Classes • Crisis Intervention • Domestic Violence • Bomb Team Response Presentation • ALICE – various locations • Special Response Team Response Presentation • K-9 Presentations DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2018 5 K-9 Officer Brandon Faulkcon and K-9 Raker 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 a 40 week course on crisis intervention. Additionally, 5 officers are certified as crisis intervention trainers and instructed during the course • 2 Officers attended a two day training in Des Moines for assisting those in crisis • All members of the ICPD completed an online legal and law update on Implicit Bias, Bias- Based Policing, and Fair & Impartial Policing • Officer Hayes participated in an open forum presentation with community youth on African American Culture – Personal Safety and Education. This 2 hour dialogue involved 38 young community members, along with Officer Hayes’ counterpart at the University of Iowa, Officer Alton Poole. DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2018 6 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. Neighborhood Response Officer Rob Cash presented to three community organizations on LGBTQ rights, business rights and best practices, and personal safety. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: Documentation of any partnership between the Department and another community organization. The Department worked with community partners that led to attendance at 46 events by 8 officers who spent 62 hours engaging with community members. Below are some highlights and noteworthy outcomes from those partnerships. • Special Olympics – Officers Hayes and Cash have been part of the planning committee for the 2019 Polar Plunge • Human Trafficing Initiative with community partners, RVAP and Monsoon. • Elder Abuse Team meeting to discuss local cases and available resources • Iowa City Community School District safety planning meeting • Downtown Liaison Officer Fowler has been a member of the Local Homeless Coordinating Board which has been working on the grand opening of Cross Park Place that will offer housing to the chronically homeless. • DLO Fowler is also on the Winter Extreme Temperature (WET) Shelter sub-committee. This shelter provides an option for the homeless who are intoxicated or otherwise ineligible to receive housing at Shelter House during the winter months. The WET shelter opened in December. • 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 DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2018 7 by turning them over with disadvantaged youth and adults. During the 4th quarter, a total of 4 abandoned bicycles were turned over to the homeless. • The ICPD’s LGBTQ team has grown! The team has gone from 3 to 10 members. ICPD officers act as liaisons to the LGBTQ community with the following goals: o Foster positive relations between the LGBTQ community and the Iowa City Police Department by providing a liaison for community members who may be crime victims or have information or issues of concern that the police department could assist with. o Assist in productive dialogue with investigative units concerning LGBTQ-related crimes. o Work in partnership with other city agencies, other law enforcement entities and community-based organizations, education and involvement in other LGBTQ-related issues. o Maintain an interactive role in recruit-based and in-service police trainings regarding the LGBTQ community. • 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, Prevent Child Abuse-Johnson County 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 3,500 citizen contacts. The Evening Watch spent 300 hours on foot patrols, the Day Watch conducted 99 foot patrols, and the Late Night Watch conducted foot patrols in the Downtown, including making multiple bar checks resulting in contact with hundreds of people in the Downtown district. The ICPD Community Outreach Officer spent 22 hours on foot and extra patrols. The Daytime Downtown Liaison Officer was on bike/foot patrol during 67 days of this quarter, totaling 220 hours and conducting 106 extra patrols. The Nighttime Downtown Liaison Officer conducted 68 foot patrols and 683 extra patrols during the 4th quarter of 2018.