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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-25-1998 Minutes POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD MINUTES - August 18, 1998 Lobby Conference Room CALL TO ORDER Chair P. Hoffey called the meeting to order at 7:03 P.M. ATTENDANCE Board members present: L. Cohen, P. Farrant, P. Hoffey, M. Raymond, and J. Watson. Staff present: Legal Counsel D. Russell and Administrative Assistant S. Bauer. Motion by M. Raymond and seconded by P. Farrant to amend the agenda to include "Public Discussion" after Item No. 4. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. CONSENT CALENDAR Motion by J. Watson and seconded by P. Farrant to adopt the Consent Calendar as amended: (1) to include receipt of memo dated 8/12/98 from City Manager Steve AtP, ins, and (2) to amend the minutes of 8/11/98 as discussed. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL None ORDINANCE TIME REQUIREMENTS The issue of time limitations has been discussed at board meetings on several occasions previously, and it has been agreed that the issue will be included in our discussion of the annual report. COMMUNITY FORUMS Motion by P. Farrant and seconded by J. Watson to approve M. Raymond's draft letter, as amended, to the Chief regarding data collection. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. J. Watson reported that Professor David Baldus is available to speak to the board at the regular meeting of September 8, 1998. October 27~ 1998 Community Ferum: Issues involving location, mailing list/notices, paid ads, and televising/videotaping were discussed. PCRB Assistant was directed to (1) continue the search for a location, (2) determine if the City would pay for ads in lieu of money spent on mailings, and (3) contact Tony Haughton and Jamie Schweser for ideas regarding publicizing future forums. PUBLIC DISCUSSION None PCRB COMPLAINT FORM Discussion of complaint form draft of 8/10/98 included (but was not limited to): Procedurally, the board would like any withdrawal of a complaint in writing. · The complaint form should not include requirements that aren't in the Code. · The complaint may become a public record through action of the board on the advice of its counsel. · Possibility of a brochure to be distributed with the complaint form. P. Farrant will implement all suggested changes into another draft to be discussed at the next meeting. Motion by J. Watson and seconded by M. Raymond that the PCRB administrative assistant should not act as the "neutral City staff person" as referenced in 8-8-5 B.4 of the City Code. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES D. Russell's memo of August 11, 1998, and S. Bauer's 7/24/98 draft of Standard Operating Procedures were discussed. S. Bauer was directed to prepare a second draft appropriating the changes discussed. ANNUAL REPORT Board members P. Hoffey and L. Cohen and administrative assistant S. Bauer will prepare a draft and present it to the board as soon as possible for consideration, with the intent to have a finished product for submission to the City Council by October 1, 1998. EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion by L. Cohen and seconded by P. Farrant to adjourn into Executive Session based on Section 21.5(a) of the Code of Iowa to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept confidential or to be kept confidential as a condition for that government body's possession or continued receipt of federal funds, and 22.7(11) personal information in confidential personnel records of public bodies including but not limited to cities, boards of supervisors and school districts. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. Meeting adjourned at 8:40 P.M. Regular meeting resumed at 9:04 P.M. Motion by L. Cohen and seconded by M. Raymond (1) to review PCRB Complaint #98-11 at level 8-8-7 B. 1 (a) in accordance to the Ordinance, and (2) assigned the drafting of the public report to the report-writing committee. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. MEETING SCHEDULE · Special Meeting August 25, 1998 - 7:00 P.M. Special Meeting September 1, 1998 - 7:00 P.M. · Regular Meeting September 8, 1998 - 7:00 P.M. · Special Meeting September 15, 1998 - 7:00 P.M. · Special Meeting September 22, 1998 - 7:00 P.M. · Special Meeting September 29, 1998 - 7:00 P.M. BOARD INFORMATION · L. Cohen: Council Member K. Kubby indicated she had been contacted by a citizen who had concern that there are no identifying markers on the black uniforms worn by the S.C.A.T. team. If there is a complaint against a S.C.A.T. officer, there is no way to identify him/her. · P. Hoffey: Had a call from a gentleman relating to the same concern as above - no name or badge number on the S.C.A.T. officers. P. Hoffey also reported contact from Elias Zaharias regarding police traffic stops in the Broadway area, stating 'many of those cars have faulty equipment and many of them are not obeying traffic laws and the police have a perfectly good reason to stop them and there is a lot of drug traffic in the area. That may be interpreted as being discrimination with minorities, 4 but most of the persons are minorities, t don't believe that the police are racists in the stops they make in that area because of the reasons for the stops and the fact that many minorities live there." Mr. Zaharias has lived in this community for 29 years. · J. Watson: Expressed his desire not to use the media to communicate board feelings. STAFF INFORMATION None ADJOURNMENT Motion for adjournment by M. Raymond and seconded by L. Cohen. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. Meeting adjourned at 9:25 P.M. POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD MINUTES - August 11, 1998 Lobby Conference Room (as amened 8/18/98) CALL TO ORDER Vice-Chair L. Cohen called the meeting to order at 7:02 P.M. ATTEND~ANCE Board members present: L. Cohen, P. Farrant, M. Raymond, and J. Watson. Board member absent: P. Hoffey. Staff present: Legal Counsel D. Russell and Administrative Assistant S. Bauer. CONSENT CALENDAR Motion by M. Raymond and seconded by P. Farrant to adopt the Consent Calendar. Motion carried, 4/0, Hoffey absent. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL None COMMUNITY FORUM EVALUATION Board members discussed an informal list of potential issues and priorities relating to Police Department policies, based on presentations made by citizens at the July 14, 1998 Community Forum and correspondence received to-date. Issues commented on about the forum format and future forums included: · sites to hold forums other than at the Iowa City Public Library; practical issues related to televising future forums; · need for further listening sessions and more anecdotal input; · more participation from board members at future forums; · need for issue focused sessions; · need for participation by student population representatives. The following issues were suggested as possibilities from the first forum: issue #1- Race and Age-based Traffic Stops, as proposed by M. Raymond: This issue is being raised nationwide. A proposal at the federal level and in two states calls for fact gathering demographic information on those subjected to traffic stops. Raymond proposed that the board propose to the City Council that the Department be required to a collect demographic data regarding persons subjected to traffic stops. The board agreed first to determine if such demographic information is already being collected and whether the board could have access to it. This data could include: (1) number of individuals stopped, (2) race/ethnicity, (3) approximate age, (4) traffic infraction that was alleged to have been committed that had lead to the stop, (5) whether a search was instituted as a result of the stop, how the search was instituted, the rationale for the search, (6) whether contraband was discovered in the course of the search and the nature of the contraband, if any, (7) whether warning or citations were issued as a result of the stop, and ($) whether an arrest was made. Issue #2 - Use of Force: The question of policy on the use of weapons and the potential use of force is an important one in this community. J. Watson suggested inviting Prof. Baldus to discuss the issue of accumulating data in trying to evaluate the issue, and to assist the board in determining whether the existing policies on use of force are appropriate for this community. Issue #3 - Shaw Matter: A number of speakers at the forum suggested that the community still wants to hear whether the police department has made changes in policy, procedure, and training as a result of the Shaw incident. Issue #4 - Priorities/Community Standards: The possibility of mini sessions for the police department to make presentations to the public about community standards/policies as a way for citizens to be more informed about current policies, structuring time for presentation, debate, and response. With respect to this issue, it was acknowledged that the PCRB was established to focus on possible problems, review policies, foster public discussion, and recommend needed changes in policy and procedure. Issue # 5 - Downtown Issues: Personnel allocation issues, attitude issues, policy decisions, and input from the student body: The board suggested a number of ways to proceed: 1. Gathering information from guest speakers; 2. Department presentations (see #4 above); 3. Provide a venue for the public to respond and debate; 4. Identify specific outcomes, to include possible recommendations to the City Council. Motion by L. Cohen and seconded by M. Raymond that (1) Raymond shall draft a letter to the Chief requesting information about collection of demographic data on traffic stops, and (2) Watson shall contact David Baldus inviting him to a future meeting to speak on data collection and use of force issues. Motion carried, 4/0, Hoffey absent. PUBLIC DISCUSSION The following individuals appeared: Jeff Guiton, Anthony Haughton, and Charles Eastham. COMPLAINT FORM Committee Chair P. Farrant distributed a working copy of PCRB Citizen Complaint Form, Draft 8/10/98. This matter was deferred for discussion to the next meeting. MEETING SCHEDULE · Special Meeting August 18, 1998 - 7:00 P.M. Agenda - Complaint Form, SOP's, Annual Report, Forum (IMU?} · Special Meeting August 25, 1998 - 7:00 P.M. · Special Meeting September 1, 1998 - 7:00 P.M. · Regular Meeting September 8, 1998 - 7:00 P.M. BOARD INFORMATION · M. Raymond - the statute that allows police to conduct a full search based on a citation will be reviewed by the U.S Supreme Court this fall. Ms. Raymond will keep the board apprised of this issue. STAFF INFORMATION · Regarding the Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement conferences, S. Bauer reported that the City would consider all travel requests submitted to them. · D. Russell distributed memo of 8/11/98 regarding PCRB SOP's and Guidelines for consideration by the Board on August 18. ADJOURNMENT Motion for adjournment by M. Raymond and seconded by J. Watson. Motion carried, 4/0, Hoffey absent. Meeting adjourned at 9:23 P.M.