Safe, Healthy, Connected People Commission

7/28/2020 - Minutes I. Call to Order Members Present: Kim Jordan, Mary Hussmann, Paul Rabidoux, Amy Lafayette, Courtney Blasius City Staff Present: Ray Coffey, Jessie Baker, John Audy, Paul Sarne Guests Present: Amelie Thurston, Bryn Oaklead, Kat Wohlers, Katherine Monje, Matthew Francis, Robyn, Travis Smith Call to Order by: Mary Hussmann Minutes Recorded by: Kim Jordan Meeting Start Time: 6:36 PM II. Public Comment None III. Approve Previous Meeting Minutes Decision: Approved Motion by: Paul Second: Kim IV. Presentation on 21st Century Policing in Winooski See attached slides (https://www.winooskivt.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07282020-679?html=true) Questions from SHCP Commissioners: l Kim Jordan: Looks forward to continuing conversation about support for victims of crime and harm in Winooski, like Parallel Justice for Victims of Crime and Harm, as an added collaboration with Burlington CJC, since Winooski CJC has dissolved. Chief Hebert: Looks forward to continued collaboration! l Paul Rabidoux: Does Winooski PD have an emergency response vehicle...? Chief Hebert: Burlington has one, but Winooski doesn’t have the funds and relies on BPD for emergency and, when necessary, lethal options. Winooski – and VT in general - doesn’t need emergency, militarized responses to protests the way that other places in the country may choose to. As WPD is down two officers, Chief Hebert prioritizes the patrol division, which requires 10 officers. They do not currently have a detective on the DEA Task Force and will not fill the position until at least October. CUSI detective spot will not be filled as a priority. l Kim Jordan: Could you speak to the need for an SRO in the Winoosk Schools? Chief Hebert: WSD has had zero arrests (yet has had referrals to restorative justice panels), but we are a product of our community… and if Winooski decides that they  the patrol division, which requires 10 officers. They do not currently have a detective on the DEA Task Force and will not fill the position until at least October. CUSI detective spot will not be filled as a priority. l Kim Jordan: Could you speak to the need for an SRO in the Winoosk Schools? Chief Hebert: WSD has had zero arrests (yet has had referrals to restorative justice panels), but we are a product of our community… and if Winooski decides that they want something different from an SRO in the schools, he understands. Winooski schools primarily fund the SRO position, but he is understandable naïve to what marginalized students feel and how they don’t trust police and/or don’t want police on school grounds. He believes there is value in the SRO position, and also trusts the Winooski school community’s decision making. If the community wants to have a trauma specialist on staff instead of and SRO, that makes sense. He does hope that if police are no longer needed as SRO’s, police are still welcomed as part of the community and not only called to the school when there’s a crisis and an arrest may need to be made. Questions from members of the public: l Matthew Francis: The date at the top says “Rev. 3/4/12.” Is this FY20 data or is it from 2012? Slides 10 and 11. Chief Hebert: That is the computer program’s imprint, and not related to the data. l Katherine Monje: I am interested in the WPD responseS to the 8 Can’t Wait recommendations. Chief Hebert: Will communicate via email. l Kat Wohlers: In observing police traffic stops by where Kat lives, it seems that all people asked to get out of the car are Black and Brown folks. Will the new traffic stop data track race and will that be available? Are there also data points about Neighborhood Watch and race for who is involved/participates? Is there a number for Community Outreach Team? How many Winooski Police officers live in Winooski? Might Winooski have a Police Commission in the way that Burlington does? Cheif Hebert: Yes to the traffic stop data tracking. If there are folks interested in Neighborhood Watch, please let Chief Hebert know. Community Outreach Team is Howard Center’s First Call - 802 488 7778. Right now, no WPD officers live in Winooski. If Winooski is interested in a police commission, I look forward to being a part of that conversation and collaboration. WPD are ambassadors for this community. l Amelie Thurston: Chief Hebert, you mentioned there you had conducted surveys in 2015 and referenced the internal survey that you did. Was an external survey done as well? If so, are the results of an external survey available for the public to view? A group of Winooski parents/community members drafted some survey questions to be shared in a few different modalities. They will send a letter to City staff and Chief Hebert with the questions they think should be included and a good cross-section of the community to survey for a representative sample. She has lived in Winooski for 13 years and has never been surveyed, so she looks forward to hearing about how this survey can be done most effectively. Chief Hebert: Two community surveys have been put out to the public, and it’s probably time to do that again. Paul Sarne and Ray Coffey can work with the group to find those responses. Jessie Baker: Is also interested in working on this survey for equity and an accurate representative sample of Winooski residents. l Bryn Oakleaf: How does WPD currently engage with Interpretation Services? How have addiction/overdoses increased in this COVID time? As you seek to recruit additional officers, what are the Department's policies around reviewing the previous employment history of an officer both on the job, and off the job? It has come to light on the national level that re-hiring officers with a series of previous infractions perpetuates issues of an officer and relocates the problem from one PD and community to another. Cheif Hebert: WPD works with a service in the Midwest to interpret over 180 languages. If someone wants translation services for paperwork, the service provides translation as well. This is for overall City services, not just police procedure work. Countywide Dispatch rollout will be forthcoming, and  on the national level that re-hiring officers with a series of previous infractions perpetuates issues of an officer and relocates the problem from one PD and community to another. Cheif Hebert: WPD works with a service in the Midwest to interpret over 180 languages. If someone wants translation services for paperwork, the service provides translation as well. This is for overall City services, not just police procedure work. Countywide Dispatch rollout will be forthcoming, and interpretation/translation services will be part of this. There hasn’t been a spike in overdose numbers since quarantine/COVID began, but our numbers are so small that even one overdose makes our numbers look high. Act 56 provides parameters about police investigations that will provide more tightening of regulations. l Amelie Thurston: Since there will be 2 WPD officer vacancies, will there be an intentionally diverse hiring practice and recruitement effort? Chief Hebert: It is surprisingly hard to find good officers to hire. We have only 1 woman and only white officers on WPD. The City is actively committed and trying to diversity its workforce and encourages suggestions from anyone on how to do this. Jessie Baker: This is a top priority for the entire Winooski City workforce. There are hurdles and barriers that prevent potentially excellent hires from becoming police officers; please help advocate to the VT Legislature for a non-residental polic academy. V. City and Department Updates There are many Winooski job openings and they are posted on the Winooski website VI. Adjourn Motion by: Paul Second: Kim Meeting End Time: 8:05 PM