Civilian Police Review & Advisory Board

MINUTES CIVILIAN POLICE REVIEW AND ADVISORY BOARD Regular Meeting August 8, 2024 In Person at Morgantown Council Chambers, and by Zoom Members Present: Rachel Felty Anderson (chair), Rich Burks (Zoom), Bryan Church (Zoom), Bob Cohen (Zoom), Dady Dadyburjor (notes), Megan Gandy, Also present: Ben Conley; by Zoom: Mike Nolting, John Evans, Brandon Viola 1. Call to Order: Approximately 12:30 pm, after delays due to setting up zoom and live streaming, for this first meeting in the renovated Council Chambers 2. Minutes of the last regular meeting held on July 11, 2024 were approved on motion of Megan, seconded by Dady 3. COMMITTEE REPORTS – A. Statistics and Reporting Committee Rachel reported that a meeting with the Police Chief had been requested and the scheduling was being worked out. B. Community Outreach Committee Megan reported that she had visited the neighborhood associations at First Ward and at South Park. During those meetings, she passed out flyers publicizing the board and asked for interested persons to apply for membership on the board and for participation in the focus groups. It was noted that there was disparity between meeting intervals for different community organizations – some met four times a year, some only twice a year. Dady (new member on this committee, replacing Bob, who moved to the Statistics and Reporting Committee) reported that he was scheduled to visit the Suncrest Neighborhood Association at the end of August. He would similarly appeal for participation in focus groups and board membership. 4. OLD BUSINESS A. Community Survey Progress on Creation of Focus Groups. This was segued into by Rachel requesting more information on how people could become members of focus groups. Megan said that this could be done by emailing her at Megan.gandy@mail.wvu.edu. She reported that she has had three groups so far. These are specific stakeholders, mainly from downtown. Three other groups are scheduled to meet: Wednesday, August 14, 3:30 – 5pm; Saturday August 24th, 9:30 – 11am; and Tuesday, August 27, 5:30 – 7pm. All these will meet at the Morgantown Public Library. In addition, there will be a zoom focus group, Friday September 3, 5-6:30pm. She is also getting some individual interviews. She prefers advance notification, so that she can equalize groups and keep them sufficiently small so all can participate. Besides the neighborhood association meetings, she has contacted local churches, run an ad, and publicized on ENews for WVU personnel. Megan will open up the information from Phase I to groups for comment. Looking at the broader picture, she emphasized that the focus groups comprise Phase I of the project and will be more qualitative. Phase I will inform the survey, which will be more quantitative. Proposals for funding. A proposal is currently sitting on the City Manager’s desk. If funding is called for, he will have to pull funds from another portion of the budget. If there is no movement till December, a request will be submitted to the city in January for funding from next year’s budget. B. Procedures for citizen complaints to Morgantown Police Department Rich reported that there were a couple of gray areas. One problem is that the police department needs someone present in the office to address immediately problems that walk in the door. Rachel volunteered to work with Rich on that. Rachel, Rich and Bob formed a work group to look at the police complaint form. C. Need to increase membership of Board Rachel asked non-Board members present if there was interest in serving on the Board. There was no response. Megan noted that people have applied but have not been told of a yes/no decision by City Council – should they apply again? Dady said that he was told during his re- appointment interview that Council members felt that those who had applied would not “fit in”. Rachel opined that the Board was in need of “average Joes/Janes”, not people with advanced degrees. 5. NEW BUSINESS A. Future Meetings Rachel will revisit the option of continuing to have meetings in the Council Chambers, to see if kinks can be worked out. B. Council Proposal to criminalize outdoor sleeping. Rich moved to respond to the resolution being considered by Council, Megan seconded. Brian, Bob and Catherine agreed to form a work group for this. Megan noted that there needed to be quick turnaround on this. The statement should be given to the Board before our next meeting, so we can vote on it then. October may be too late. Bob referred to a report by Chief Powell that there was no historical increase in crime downtown over time.  C. Participation in Art Walk, August 10. Megan noted that she had been invited to set up a table publicizing the Board and the focus groups during the Art Walk, scheduled 11am – 3pm on Saturday. The table would spread community awareness of the board and the focus groups. Plus there would be some fun art- based activity. Rachel volunteered to help. 6. OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT Rachel reported on a call that she received. A woman driving a U-Haul to Indiana had a panic attack. Two police officers present when Rachel arrived at the scene had already figured out for the woman a path which was minimally hilly. Rachel accompanied her (and children) up to Wheeling. Rachel received an email the next day that the woman had made it to her destination. Kudos to the police officers; Rachel regretted that she did not have their names. There were no other public comments. 7. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 1:40 pm, motion by Rich, second by Dady.