Advisory Committee on Police-Community Relations

Advisory Committee on Police Community Relations Minutes March 10, 2022 – 5:30 P.M. via Zoom The Advisory Committee on Police Community Relations met remotely via Zoom, Thursday, March 10, 2022, with proper notice posted. Chair Zagardo called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. ROLL CALL - Present: Boone, Burch, Galvan, King, Lang, Schaidle, Sierra, Wilson, and Zagardo. (Guest: Mas Perkins) Absent: Allen, Burnside, Evans, Greaves, Hargrave-Murry, Jackson, and Parks. WELCOME Governor Pritzker signed a new Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation extending the statewide declaration through March 6, 2022. With the signing of this disaster proclamation, public meetings can continue to be held remotely per the requirements listed below. All meetings with customers should be done on a remote platform if at all possible. For public meetings that have already been noticed, we will need to re-notice in order to provide the updated information. 1. Standard 48-hour notice, except for an emergency meeting, to all member of the public body, posted at the meeting location, on the public body’s website and provided to any news media that has requested notice. 2. During the meeting, participating members must be verified and must be able to hear one another, as well as hear all discussion and testimony. 3. During open meetings, members of the public who are present at the meeting location of the public body must be able to hear all discussion, testimony and votes of the members of the body. 4. If attendance at the regular meeting location is not feasible due to the disaster, alternative arrangements must be made and notice of the meeting must include the arrangements that will provide live public access to hear all the parts of the open meeting (phone number or link to Zoom, Teams, Go To Meeting, etc.) 5. At least one member of the public body, the chief legal counsel or the chief administrative officer must be physically present at the meeting location, unless it is not feasible due to the disaster (other member of the public body may attend in person or remotely). 6. All votes must be by roll call, identifying each member and recording their vote on each issue. 7. Standard minutes of all meetings must be kept, approved and made available for public review as usual; and 8. A verbatim audio or video recording of all meeting must be made and available to the public for review. These recordings are public records and must be maintained per OMA. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The 2/10/22 meeting minutes were unanimously approved. Member Sierra motioned to approve; seconded by Member Lang. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Dr. Zagardo opened the floor for discussion regarding the draft of the March 24th Townhall Notice and Press Release. She encouraged members to share after the final draft was released with the zoom information. Dr. Zagardo asked for input regarding in-person meetings. Member Sierra asked if a remote meeting link would still be available if the committee met in person. Mas said that she would look into it. Dr. Zagardo Advisory Committee on Police Community Relations Minutes March 10, 2022 - 5:30 P.M. motioned to have the April meeting in person if the committee can; seconded by Member King. Majority approved. Chief Echevarria offered the training room as a meeting location; members voiced their preference for that location. Dr. Zagardo expressed her personal preference to not hold meetings in person if a remote meeting option wasn’t available. Chief Echevarria expressed how he hoped the community would view the department as theirs and that they wouldn’t feel deterred by meeting at the department. Member Schaidle believed that it would be beneficial to hold the meetings alternatively at both the department and a local school. Members discussed various ideas for community involvement. Chief Echevarria mentioned that the department is in the planning stages for a children’s camp. He expressed how there will be opportunities for the committee to be involved such as providing hygiene products, etc. for children attending the camp. NEW BUSINESS Member Lang asked for clarification regarding the research the sub-committee was asked to do regarding ordinances and citizen’s review boards. Dr. Zagardo expressed that the goal was to look at the ordinance that created the committee and clarify what they could do within that ordinance to help define the committee’s purpose. GENERAL POLICE UPDATE Chief Echevarria briefly discussed diversity statistics. He discussed how the department is intentional in recruiting to minority groups and how there is a nationwide police officer shortage. Chief introduced Lt. Deeb who is the Internal Affairs Lieutenant. CITIZEN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE – none ITEMS FOR THE GOOD OF THE CAUSE – none ADJOURNMENT – Member King moved to adjourn; seconded by Chief Boone. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:18 p.m. _____________________________ Andre Allen, member _____________________________ Janice Zagardo, chair _____________________________ Eric Echevarria, member Advisory Committee on Police Community Relations Minutes March 10, 2022 - 5:30 P.M.