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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSJRE report Q4 2019_2Social Justice & Racial Equity Fourth Quarter Update (October–December 2019) Neighborhood and Development Services was honored by the Iowa Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) in October for its Affordable Housing Action Plan. The City won in the award category of Implementation, which recognizes “an effort that demonstrates a significant achievement for an area...in accomplishing positive changes as a result of planning,” and emphasizes long-term, measurable results. The APA acknowledged the work done to date in completing 14 of the 15 identified action steps since its adoption in 2016. The Library hosted a screening of The True Cost in recognition of America Recycles Day. The City in December started accepting applications for a grant program designed to advance social justice and racial equity in the community. The grant opportunity is available to Iowa City-based organizations, both non and for profit, with the purpose of encouraging, empowering, and engaging social justice and racial equity initiatives through programs, activities, or services that help eliminate inequities in the Iowa City community. The City has agreed to provide $25,000 to Kirkwood Community College for the next five years to expand its English Language Learning (ELL) instruction for Iowa City Community School District families. If more people were to complete ELL classes, the labor pool for local employees would increase, and individuals completing the ELL courses would be improving their employment prospects and thus, the economic health of their families. The Mayor recognized December 10, 2019 as Human Rights Day in Iowa City. The Mayor proclaimed it Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 14, 2019. The Mayor observed Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019 as Transgender Day of Remembrance in Iowa City. Transgender Day of Remembrance began in 1999 as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998, and to raise awareness of hate crimes against persons who are transgender or gender non-conforming. Accountabilitycity of iowa city : Social JuStice & Racial equity The City joined Inclusive ICR in December. Inclusive ICR is a coalition of local employers and organizations working together to support and grow diversity and inclusion in our workforce. The City of Iowa City started working with the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital and College of Public Health to improve the health of Iowa City’s youngest residents. A new collaboration, called Community Prescriptions, was formed to develop ways to increase activity in young children ages 2 to 12, while also getting kids outdoors and using their neighborhood parks and trails. The City is one of three Iowa communities to earn a perfect score of 100 on the eighth annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the only nationwide rating system of LGBTQ inclusion in municipal law, policy and services. This is the sixth consecutive year that Iowa City has earned this score from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization. The 2019 Municipal Equality Index Scorecard Launched in Iowa City in November to recognize this milestone. In October the City joined amicus briefs supporting challenges to: 1) the public charge rule that would allow the federal government to deny permanent residency to noncitizens who have used public benefits; and, 2) the asylum rule that requires immigrants who cross at the southern border to apply for and be denied asylum in any country they pass through before applying for protection in the United States; and 3) the City joined the amicus brief supporting the challenge to the termination of DACA which was filed with the United States Supreme Court in October. Justicecity of iowa city : Social JuStice & Racial equity The Office of Equity and Human Rights is committed to continuing to improve accessibility for persons to report discriminatory or negative experiences they have had or witnessed in Iowa City. For the last several years, an online complaint form has allowed persons to file complaints of discrimination 24/7. This is in addition to the option of filling out a paper complaint form. In October, the Office added a new option. If a person believes that they have experienced or witnessed a discriminatory incident but do not want to pursue the traditional legal remedies by filing a complaint of discrimination, they may report their concerns online 24/7 with this option. The Office encourages residents to report whatever discriminatory or disrespectful behavior they have experienced or witnessed because patterns in these reports can help the Office determine where they should focus their prevention and enforcement efforts in the community. Outreachcity of iowa city : Social JuStice & Racial equity Conversationscity of iowa city : Social JuStice & Racial equity The Library is working on a new strategic plan and spent October and November seeking feedback from the community on how the Library can serve the community in the future. “Strategic planning is a significant part of overall service design and aligning with the community’s aspirations is an important piece of the process,” Library Director Elsworth Carman says. “Our next five- year plan needs to balance changing community needs and position us to nimbly respond to new challenges. A prerequisite for crafting this plan is engaging the community around some broad questions. What does our community aspire to be? How can your Library support growth toward these goals?” Whether you are an everyday transit rider, an occasional rider, or have never been on a bus, The Transit Department has been seeking feedback from the public since this fall. Several open houses have been held so the community could learn more about the Iowa City Area Transit Study and provide input. The transit study will examine new possibilities for different routes, stops, hours or operation including Sunday. The Police co-sponsored Connecting Iowans to Sudan with speakers Dr. Bakri Ali, Aerospace Business & Engineering Leader and Dr. Mohamed Magi Al- Assam, Spokesperson for the Sudanese Professionals Association in October. The City Manger’s Roundtable was held in November. The group was introduced to Daisy Torres, the recently hired Communications Aide in the Police Department. The meeting also discussed the Transit study and opportunities for persons to apply for City boards and commissions. The League of Iowa Human Rights Agencies held its annual fall meeting and symposium in October in Dubuque. The City’s Human Rights Coordinator presented on Public Assistance Source of Income under Iowa City’s fair housing law. The City’s Office of Equity and Human Rights participated in the Iowa Regents Institutions Disability Awareness Summit: Bridging the Gap between Disability and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Topics discussed included emotional support and service animals, reasonable accommodations in the workplace, and accessible course technology. Neighborhood and Development Services staff sponsored and attended a training on Creating Powerful Messages. The training focused on equity and affordable housing. It was geared towards housing professionals, advocates, and elected officials across the county. The City’s Equity Director presented on using racial equity toolkits with co- presenter Manisha Patel, Equity Coordinator for the City of Des Moines, at the Iowa Chapter of the American Planning Association’s annual conference held in Iowa City. The City’s Equity Directed participated in the Government Alliance on Racial Equity Midwest Member Update in November and its webinar on Community Engagement & Ownership in December. The City’s Human Rights Investigator conducted fair housing trainings for a local real estate management company and for members of the City’s Housing and Community Development Commission (HCDC) in December. Trainingcity of iowa city : Social JuStice & Racial equity One Iowa held its 2019 LGBTQ Workplace Culture Summit in October at the Kirkwood Regional Center in Coralville. City staff from Communications, Parks & Recreation, Human Rights, Neighborhood & Development Services, City Manager’s Office and City Clerk’s Office attended. The summit featured presentations on LGBTQ workplace culture, nonbinary identities in the workplace, and a panel discussion on how to be an ally to the LGBTQ community. Attendees learned more about the LGBTQ community, how to make more inclusive policies, and retain LGBTQ talent. The City of Iowa City was an Advocate Sponsor of the event. DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2019 TO: Stefanie Bowers FROM: Captain Denise Brotherton RE: DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th QUARTER 2019 DATE: January 8, 2020 The Iowa City Police Department’s DIF reporting for the fourth quarter of 2019 is below. COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Documentation of participation in any event, attended or presented, by a Department member to a community member or organization. 34 officers attended 131 events in the fourth quarter of 2019 for a total of approximately 82 hours of involvement. Events included school visits, teaming with the Iowa City Fire Department to teach elementary students about safety, and pizza lunches with Officer Neeld and K9 Luke. Many of the community events were highlighted on the Iowa City Police Department Facebook page and Twitter. And the most exciting news, we have a new Community Outreach Assistant, Daisy Torres! Officer Hayes sharing hugs during a learning break. DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2019 2 Officer Neeld and K9 Luke enjoy sharing Luke’s adventures and eating pizza with the students at Grant Wood Elementary. Officer Farrell helping direct a trick or treater at Trunk or Treat. DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2019 3 Officer Schmidt recruited a future police officer at the Halloween celebration in the South District Neighborhood. Officers Schmerbach and Kuntz served up some tasty Thanksgiving deserts. DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2019 4 It did not take long to get this puppy adopted that Officer Mitchell showed off during a social media event with the Iowa City Animal Adoption and Care Center to encourage local pet adoptions. Officer Puente found a reindeer during the annual Holiday with a Hero event. Several local children were treated to a shopping spree and their own personal police shopper. DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2019 5 Officers Bunch, Farrell, Puente, and Cheney played some mean dodgeball at the Iowa City West Dodgeball tournament. LGBTQ+ Liaison Team members, Detective Stevens, Downtown Liaison Officer Fowler and Community Outreach Assistant Daisy Torres partied at The Mirage Event. They hung out and interacted with lots of folks who were interested in hearing the team. Each organization at the event were part of the “infrostravaganza” where attendees could ask questions and engage in meaningful conversations. DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2019 6 COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS: Documentation of any participation in a community presentation by a Department member. 13 officers participated in 45 community presentations in the fourth quarter of 2019, totaling approximately 83 hours of involvement. Presentations included the following topics/groups: • De-escalation • Crisis Intervention • Self Defense • Internet Crimes against Children • ALICE – various locations • Family Violence • K-9 Presentations • Social Media Safety • Crime Scene • Distracted Driving • Neighborhood Issues • Bike Safety • Special Response Team • Fake Identifications • E-Cigarettes • Engaging LGBTQ+ Communities • Engaging refugee and immigrant community members • Project Lifesaver DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2019 7 Crime Scene Technician Officer Hartman taught local elementary students about crime scene processing. 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. • All members of the ICPD completed the second part segment of an online training on trauma informed response to domestic abuse victims. 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. *There were no Public Education on Rights presentations this quarter. DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2019 8 COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: Documentation of any partnership between the Department and another community organization. The Department worked with community partners that led to attendance at 36 events by 16 officers who spent 68 hours engaging with community members. Below are some highlights and noteworthy outcomes from those partnerships. • Community Outreach Assistant Torres partnered with the Friendship Community Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2015, dedicated to teaching English language and life skills to Iowa City area adult immigrants and refugees. They strive to promote a sense of community belonging and practical assistance in accessing local resources and learning about our community and to serve as an anchor for those new to the community and culture who have not yet formed local ties. • Downtown Liaison Officer Fowler attended three meetings with the Johnson County Local Homeless Coordinating Board to continue to help the area homeless. The WET Shelter Sub- committee successfully implemented the annual temporary shelter to provide an alternate housing option for the winter months. This alternate housing provides shelter for individuals who are intoxicated or otherwise ineligible to receive house at Shelter House. • Officer Hayes partnered with the Iowa City Fire Department to teach safety to elementary students. • 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 4th quarter, a total of 3 abandoned bicycles were turned over to the homeless and 80 to the Bike Library and Working Bikes. • Neighborhood Response Officer Schmerbach has been attending the Landlord Association Meetings to provide law enforcement insight to the discussions. • Officer Ryan Schnackel sits on the advisory committee for the Department of Corrections Southern Advisory Committee. DIF Reporting for ICPD – 4th Quarter 2019 9 • 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. The Evening Watch conducted 122 documented foot and extra patrols, the Day Watch conducted 131 foot and extra patrols, and the Late Night Watch conducted 287 foot and extra patrols, including making multiple bar checks resulting in contact with hundreds of people in the Downtown district. The Daytime Downtown Liaison Officer was on bike/foot patrol during 49 days of this quarter, totaling 250 hours and conducting 190 business checks. The Nighttime Downtown Liaison Officer conducted 43 foot patrols and 2 extra patrols and 32 business checks to further establish a positive relationship with the staff, managers, and owners of the businesses open late at night in the Downtown. 1 Social Justice and Racial Equity Report – January, 2020 Children’s Services Department 1. Storytimes: a. October 27: Drag Storytime and Costume Ball. Drag queens and kings from Iowa City presented a Halloween themed Drag storytime. b. November 2: National Federation of the blind of Iowa: Old Capital Chapter. Members from the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa: Old Capital Chapter read braille stories to children for storytime. Afterward, chapter members were available to show children how to write their own name in braille. c. November 19: Spanish Language Storytime. Presented by an ICPL children’s librarian and fluent Spanish speaker, attendees at this storytime sang songs and heard stories in both English and Spanish, allowing young children to be exposed to multiple languages. d. November 21: Preschool Stories and More with the 100 Grannies. The 100 Grannies, a local environmental activist group, presented an interactive storytime focused on gratitude toward the Earth’s resources. Attendees learned ways to practice conservation at home and enjoyed songs and stories which focused on celebrating and protecting natural environments. e. December 18: Hanukkah Storytime with Rabbi Esther. Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz from the Agudas Achim Synagogue was a special guest at storytime. Attendees learned about the background, symbols, traditions and customs surrounding Hanukkah. 2. Book Displays: a. In the 4th quarter, the children’s department featured a display for Service and Therapy Dogs, a display for Native American Heritage Month, and a display for holidays around the world. The materials displayed included titles in all formats and for all ages that aligned with the theme, raising awareness about particular groups/cultures and celebrating the accomplishments of particular individuals within these groups. An average of fifty books are circulated rom these displays during the two-week period in which they rotate through the display space. 3. Sunday Funday Craft Program: a. October 20: Sunday Fun Day: Dia de los Muertos Sugar Skull Masks. In recognition of the Latin American holiday, Dia del los Muertos, children created sugar skull masks. 4. Special Access Events: a. October 26: Special Access Browsing: Spooktacular: the library opened one hour early for individuals with autism and their families to enjoy the library together in a neutral environment. Spooky themed party, including storytime, crafts, dancing and a movie. b. December 27: Special Access Winter Break Legos. This event was a repeat event, held immediately after the general public event. It is a time for young people with autism and their families to participate in events in an environment that is less stimulating. 2 5. Outreach Storytimes: a. During the month of October, ICPL children’s libraries visited seven Head Start preschool sites and two preschool sites in public elementary schools with a high percentage of students that qualify for free/reduced lunch, presenting storytime to a total of 170 children. b. During the month of November, ICPL children’s libraries visited six Head Start preschool sites, 1 neighborhood center site, and one preschool site in public elementary schools with a high percentage of students that qualify for free/reduced lunch, presenting storytime to a total of 122 children. c. During the month of December, ICPL children’s libraries seven Head Start preschool sites one preschool site in a public elementary school with a high percentage of students that qualify for free/reduced lunch, presenting storytime to a total of 140 children. 6. Author Talk: a. November 20: Raising Anti-Racist White Kids: A Conversation for All of Us. Dr. Jennifer Harvey gave an author talk about the conundrums that exist when raising white children. Dr. Harvey spoke of ways that race can be discussed openly and honestly while raising children. 7. Other Programs: a. December 23: The Poinsettia Project: Grades K-2. This program was geared toward children in grades K-2. Children were invited to learn about the significance of the poinsettia in many Latin American cultures through stories and the creation of a unique handmade poinsettia print. Collection Services: In October, ten members of our staff attended training from the Cedar Rapids Public Library on conducting diversity audits on library collections. Diversity audits provide data on who is represented within a library collection, identifying gaps in representations of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability, economic status, as well as other traditionally marginalized populations. The goal is to build a more inclusive collection that contains many voices by understanding the weaknesses in the current collection. Their training explained why audits are important, goals to establish, and then how to conduct an audit. Three staff members furthered their training by attending Library Journal’s Evaluating, Auditing, and Diversifying Your Collections in November. We have started preliminary planning for a diversity audit in the spring of the Young Adult Fiction collection. Community & Access Services October: The Library hosted a display from the Domestic Violence Intervention Project that highlighted the work of a community organization that advocates for victims of domestic violence. Included handouts of history and information about DVIP and a reading list compiled with library staff and DVIP intern collaboration.