City Council

7887 E. 60th Ave. Commerce City Commerce City, CO 80022 c3gov.com Meeting Minutes - Final City Council Monday, May 11, 2015 6:00 PM Room 2108 Special Meeting - AMENDED 1. Call to Order/Roll Call A special meeting of the City Council of the City of Commerce City was called to order by Mayor Ford on May 11, 2015, at 6:00 PM. Present: 7 - Mayor Sean Ford , Council Member Jim Benson, Council Member Rick A. Teter, Council Member Steven J. Douglas, Council Member Andrew Amador, Council Member Jason McEldowney and Mayor Pro Tem René Bullock Excused: 2 - Council Member Crystal Elliott and Council Member Jadie Carson 2. Presentations Pres 15-276 Police Department Reforms City Manager McBroom began the discussion by stating that Commerce City places the highest value on the safety and protection of its citizens, the businesses that operate in the city, and the police force that protects them. We are two years into a five-year process to increase public safety and improve morale within the department. Chief Smith stated that right now, across the nation, is a difficult time to be a cop and Commerce City has many dedicated and committed employees; however, there has been a culture of misconduct and a lack of accountability for a very long time. One of the first things Chief Smith did was to interview all police personnel to identify what they saw as challenges. Employees expressed to him a lack of supervision and a fear of retaliation within the department. The chief has worked with employees to achieve their goals of change by increasing accountability, reorganizing the department to empower work teams and making service a greater emphasis. For example, the department completed a comprehensive review of use of force incidents and improvements are being made. The chief reiterated that the department is two years into a five-year reform strategy and already the number of workman's compensation claims, citizen complaints, internal affairs investigations and union grievances has declined significantly. Since 2013, 17 police personnel have left the city: four retired, four for poor performance, four for policy violations, two for another job, and three moved/personal reasons. The new reforms include normalizing the hiring process to meet regional standards, streamlining the recruitment process and leveraging police academies. Chief Smith discussed the staffing challenges beginning in 2013 and agreed to a patrol schedule suggested by police personnel. Another area of concern for the chief has been the management of property and evidence. An external audit revealed a lack of supervision and a culture of complacency in the area, cases not sent to the Commerce City Page 1 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 11, 2015 state crime lab, seized guns not entered into the national crime computer, the property room was disorganized and crowded, evidence was stored in unapproved areas and drugs and money were booked and stored without weights. The remedies enacted include: installation and implementation of a new software system, a physical audit of every item in the evidence room was conducted as well as a paper audit of every item. Upon completion of the physical and paper trail audit, 107 items remain unaccounted for. Council discussed the presentation points and indicated support of the reforms underway. 3. Executive Sessions 15-41 1.) An executive session pursuant to C.R.S. 24-6-402(4)(e) for the purpose of instructing negotiators concerning DIA issues 2.) An executive session pursuant to C.R.S. 24-6-402(4)(b) for the purpose of receiving legal advice concerning police department reforms A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Bullock, seconded by Council Member Benson, that an executive session, pursuant to C.R.S. 24-6-402(4)(b) for the purpose of receiving legal advice concerning police department reforms and pursuant to C.R.S. 24-6-402(4)(e) for instructing negotiators concerning DIA issues, be held. VOTE: Aye: 7- Mayor Ford, Council Member Benson, Council Member Teter, Council Member Douglas, Council Member Amador, Council Member McEldowney and Mayor Pro Tem Bullock Excused: 2- Council Member Elliott and Council Member Carson 4. Administrative Council Business A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Bullock, seconded by Councilman McEldowney, to excuse Council members Elliott and Carson from tonight's special meeting. VOTE: 7 aye, 2 excused (Carson, Elliott) A motion was made by Councilman McEldowney, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Bullock, to allow Mayor Ford to sign a letter on behalf of council encouraging Governor Hickenlooper to veto the red-light camera legislation. VOTE: 7 aye, 2 excused (Carson, Elliott) 5. Adjourn to Study Session The meeting adjourned at 10:30 pm Commerce City Page 2