HomeMy WebLinkAboutImmediate Release - U Heights - NAACP- LE Work SessionJoint NAACP – Law Enforcement Work Session, June 19, 2020 – Page 1 of 3
Betty C. Andrews, State Area President
IowaNebraskaNAACP@gmail.com
June 22, 2020
For Immediate Release: Joint NAACP – Law Enforcement Work Session
On Friday, June 19, 2020, the University Heights Police Department in collaboration with the Iowa City NAACP
Branch hosted a work session at the University Heights City Hall. Twenty-three local, state, and national
leaders of the NAACP, law enforcement, and prosecutors’ offices attended. Some of the participants
included:
• NAACP
o Kevin Sanders – Co-chair of Iowa-Nebraska NAACP State Criminal Justice Committee and
President of Iowa City NAACP Branch
o Betty Andrews – President of Iowa-Nebraska NAACP State Conference of Branches
o Dedric L. Doolin – National Board Member and President of Cedar Rapids NAACP Branch
• FBI
o Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paula Ebersole – Omaha
o Special Agent Scott Irwin – Supervisor, Eastern Iowa
o Special Agent Michael Maseth – Civil Rights Program Coordinator
• U.S. Attorney’s Office – Southern District of Iowa
o U.S. Attorney Marc Krickbaum
o Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Westphal – Criminal Division Chief
• Iowa Police Chiefs Association
o President Rob Burdess – Newton Police Chief
o Executive Board Member and Past President Jeremy Logan – Oelwein Police Chief
• Iowa State Patrol – Lt. Greg Obbink, District 11 Commander
• University of Iowa Department of Public Safety
o Director Scott Beckner
o Captain Mark Bullock
• Johnson County Attorney’s Office – County Attorney Janet Lyness
• Johnson County Sheriff’s Office – Sgt. Brad Kunkel
• Iowa City Police Department – Interim Chief Bill Campbell
• Coralville Police Department
o Chief Shane Kron
o Lt. Deb Summers
• North Liberty Police Department – Chief Diane Venenga
• University Heights Police Department – Chief Troy Kelsay
The work session opened with remarks from NAACP presidents and continued with conversations about the
positive, collaborative work done to date, and an honest assessment of what needs yet to be done at the local,
state, and national levels. All expressed their commitment to working collaboratively toward enlightened
solutions and accountability rather than finger-pointing and blame-laying. Trust, integrity, and especially
accountability of police was emphasized. The NAACP and law enforcement collectively agreed to address
criminal justice reform and to commit to immediate actions.
University of Iowa Department of Public Safety Director Beckner presented the “Duty to Intercede”
Memorandum of Understanding which had been drafted in partnership with all law enforcement agencies in
1302 Melrose Avenue
University Heights, Iowa 52246
319-356-6800
Fax 319-337-4404
University Heights Police Department
Troy Kelsay, Chief of Police
troy-kelsay@uhpolice.org
Joint NAACP – Law Enforcement Work Session, June 19, 2020 – Page 2 of 3
Johnson County. The MOU empowers and requires any officer/deputy from any law enforcement agency in
Johnson County to intercede if they observe the use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer of any
agency, and to report any such instance to a supervisor. All officers present at such an incident will now have
a clearly stated legal duty to intervene and could be subject to legal consequences if they do not. The finalized
agreement was signed by the leaders of each law enforcement agencies attending the work session. A copy
of the signed MOU is attached.
The Iowa Police Chiefs Association, represented by Chief Burdess (Newton Police) and Chief Logan (Oelwein
Police) announced that the Iowa Police Chiefs Association and the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP (represented by
President Betty Andrews) were jointly forming a statewide Law Enforcement Vision for Equity Task Force.
Past IPCA President Chief Logan and Iowa City NAACP President Kevin Sanders will co-chair the task force.
Johnson County Sheriff Pulkrabek will also serve on the Task Force. The joint IPCA/NAACP media release is
attached.
Additional priority actions being taken to achieve transparency, accountability, and confidence:
• Regularly occurring meetings between area law enforcement leaders and the President of the Iowa City
NAACP to build/maintain trust. Attendees will openly and honestly discuss incidents of disparate
policing, recruiting/hiring, training, police accountability, and other issues related to policing with equity
and consistency.
• Implementation of a “Duty to Intercede” in other jurisdictions throughout Iowa and the U.S. This could
be done through similar legally binding memorandum of understanding between law enforcement
agencies throughout the state, or by State law as part of police reform legislation.
• Adopting citizen review boards to work together (not as adversaries) to unify and empower
communities to build and restore trust.
• Expanded implementation of anti-racial-profiling ordinances like the University Heights ordinance
already mentioned.
• Immediate review/release of any video in response to allegation of bias-policing, especially in high
profile incidents. Do not misrepresent or cover-up. Acknowledge errors.
• Implicit bias and cultural awareness/sensitive training with a focus on the positive, not the negative.
• Consider a means of encouraging officers to live in the communities they police.
• Participation in the annual Iowa Criminal Justice Summit on Disparity (iowajusticesummit.org). Focus
on cutting down silos within the entire criminal justice system, not just within policing.
• Using the FBI is an investigatory resource re: civil rights complaints/investigations. FBI SA Irwin offered
to provide training to local law enforcement regarding these investigations and FBI resources.
Past efforts and successes were also discussed:
• All Johnson County area law enforcement agencies provide regularly occurring implicit bias training,
often at joint training sessions. There was discussion about the benefit of meaningful cultural
awareness/sensitivity training so that officers would better understand ingrained anxieties and fears of
minorities toward police.
• All Johnson County area law enforcement agencies already have use-of-force policies that prohibit the
use of chokeholds. All area law enforcement officers receive regular training on use-of-force and de-
escalation.
• Iowa City has a longstanding and active Citizen Police Review Board. They were the first in the state to
pass an ordinance forming such a board.
• The Iowa City Police Department is one of only ten Iowa law enforcement agencies, and among only
4% of agencies nationwide, that is accredited by CALEA. In theory, the advantages of accreditation
include:
o Increased community advocacy
o Support from government officials
o Stronger defense against civil lawsuits
o Reduced risk and liability procedures
o Greater accountability within the agency
Joint NAACP – Law Enforcement Work Session, June 19, 2020 – Page 3 of 3
• The Iowa City Police Department was the first in the state to voluntarily collect demographic data for
analysis and report to identify and correct any disparate policing practices.
• The Iowa City Police Department under the leadership of Chief Hargadine and Chief Matherly,
cultivated and fostered positive relations with minority populations and special interests, especially the
NAACP. This has allowed all organizations to address and resolve issues and to adapt training and
policy to better protect and police with equity. This open relationship and its successes are offered by
the NAACP as an example of collaborative work in addressing police/race issues. UI DPS Director
Beckner partnered with Chief Matherly and Iowa City NAACP President Sanders to host a forum and
training on discriminatory policing and systemic bias within all aspects of the judicial system. Interim
Chief Campbell emphasized that the collaboration and trust between local law enforcement and the
NAACP has been extremely beneficial in examining and addressing complaints and rumors of
discriminatory policing and crimes.
• University Heights worked closely with the NAACP to pass University Heights Ordinance #235,
“Community Police Relations Ordinance.” This anti-racial-profiling ordinance specifically prohibits racial
profiling, provides for related law enforcement training, directs the collection and reporting of
demographic data, and establishes a Citizens’ Advisory Board to receive complaints of discriminatory
policing and which includes an NAACP representative as a full board member. The University Heights
Police Department has instituted the same data collection and analysis done by the Iowa City Police
Department. This ordinance is currently being modeled/copied by other Iowa communities including
Des Moines and Urbandale.
• To address obvious racial disparity issues related to marijuana possession charges/convictions, and
certain driving offenses, the Johnson County Attorney’s Office implemented diversion programs for
marijuana possession charges, Driving Under Suspension and Driving While Barred offenses. Johnson
County also partnered with the UI Public Policy Center to study racial disparity in the Johnson County
adult criminal justice system. The use of a pre-arrest diversion programs was implemented for juveniles
for certain simple misdemeanor offense such as Disorderly Conduct. Realization of the issue locally
was due, in part, to the study of Iowa City Police data by St. Ambrose Professor Chris Barnum. The
NAACP shared that Des Moines is exploring Johnson County’s diversion programs.
• Data analysis has shown racial disparity related to driving while suspended or barred offenses. To
address this, the State of Iowa has also started diversion programs for these offenses and offers
payment plans for outstanding fines which if unpaid result in continued suspensions and possibly more
offenses.
Although some communities and law enforcement agencies have implemented progressive training, policy,
and ordinances that are often held up as examples elsewhere, there is a lack of consistency in both effort and
messaging among law enforcement agencies across the state and nation. One of the goals of the work
session was the formulation of a more unified collaborative strategic plan for consistently addressing and
redressing systemic disparate policing locally and statewide.
The work session concluded with a pledge from all in attendance to continue to work together toward
meaningful change, not just meaningful dialogue, and to do so with consistent, collaborative efforts across
jurisdictions and communities.
Submitted jointly by University Heights Police Chief Troy Kelsay and Iowa City NAACP Branch President Kevin
Sanders