Month: July 2021

Report on Reimagining Policing and Community Safety in Seattle – Executive Report

The IDT conducted significant community outreach to guide recommendations and policy options including meetings with 11 city-wide boards, commissions, and advisory councils; roundtables and neighborhood tours; and, compilation of thousands of constituent emails, phone calls, and letters. We understand that “Community” is not a monolith – recommendations and priorities were different with different constituent groups. There was, however, a broad coalition of people calling for a more visible patrol presences, with officers doing specific tasks. Residents shared a desire for SPD to return to “foot beats” and build opportunities for neighborhoods to develop deeper relationships with the officers that serve them. This recommendation became more prevalent when staffing shortages required that Community Police Team officers be redeployed to patrol operations. We also frequently heard that public safety extends beyond policing. Stakeholders strongly supported expanded or new funding opportunities for youth violence prevention, youth employment, homeless outreach services, affordable housing, and mental health resources. SPD patrol officers often have not been equipped to help residents make connections to these resources.

The report can be accessed HERE

FIU-Race and Prosecutorial Diversion- What we know and what can be done

Diversion is increasingly used by prosecutors in the United States. As an alternative to formal prosecution, diversion programs provide opportunities to avoid conviction, address substance use and mental health needs, and maintain employment and community ties. However, the diversion process can be a source of racial and ethnic disparities. Who gets diverted and who completes diversion successfully has a lot to do with income. Irrespective of skin color, poor individuals are disadvantaged for a variety of reasons, ranging from the quality of legal advice to hefty fees. While we acknowledge that diversion differences can stem from socioeconomic factors, this report focuses specifically on how race and ethnicity influence diversion decisions.

The full report is available here.

Reimagining Public Safety Progress Report-April-July 2021 Austin Texas

The report can be accessed HERE.

In the report there are several different topics and links with supporting material such as:

-Taskforce reform recommendations
-An analysis and report of the APD Training Academy
-The Office of Police Oversight (OPO) released the “Redefining Resistance and Considering Alternatives” report
-Use of Force Policy

***Make sure to check out the “links” to the various reports

Sacramento Police Department-Race and Traffic Stops by Police

This is a report by Center of Policing Equity (HERE).

I don’t see the usefulness in this report. There is no description in what the findings mean. DISPROPORTIONALITY DOES NOT MEAN BIAS OF RACISM. So what are they implying with there findings? First of all the study, the format of the report, and the finding are vague and unclear. I think the way this report is presented does absolutely nothing to improve policing. This is the second report I have seen from Center of Policing Equity and I have to question there ability to study the police and report accurately. There are basic issues like the report can’t be completely read on the phone and on a desktop computer the report doesn’t open completely and bottom parts are unreadable.

NYC Mental-Health Responders Can’t Replace Police | City Journal

A few short years ago the mantra for a successful Mental Health community safety net was the Police AND the those from Mental Heath community because they understood the value of having the police at Mental Health emergency calls. Now with abolish the police the community will loose the services that are need from the police. This can be extremely dangerous to the community and the person in crisis. Ignoring this will not make the necessity for the police disappear. This article illustrates this fact.

An early report on New York’s mental-health first responders earns media cheerleading, but the data are skewed for their success.
— Read on www.city-journal.org/nyc-mental-health-responders-cannot-replace-police

Report: Seattle police stop Black people, Native Americans at far higher rate than white people | The Seattle Times

There is a 54 page report referenced in the narrative with a link. Unfortunately there is a paywall but it does all a few free views.

A new report from the Los Angeles-based Center for Police Equity found that Black people, per capita, were seven times more likely to be subjected to force by Seattle police…
— Read on www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/report-black-people-and-native-americans-get-stopped-by-seattle-police-at-a-far-higher-rate-than-white-people/

Targeted Fines and Fees Against Low-Income Communities of Color: Civil Rights and Constitutional Implications

The excessive imposition of fines and fees can damage judicial credibility and the relationships between law enforcement and residents. In the effort to raise revenue through fines and fees, municipalities in effect discount concerns about the judicial system’s role in our “country’s commitment to the principles of fundamental fairness and to ensuring that the scales of our legal system measure justice, not wealth.’” Chief among these concerns are the harms to due process and judicial ethics issues that arise when states depend too heavily on court fees, potentially conflicting with judicial independence, and diverting attention from courts’ essential functions. Additionally, some state legislatures throughout the country are not properly funding local courts, which leaves local courts to bring in revenue to support their operating budgets, undermining the public’s faith in the justice system. The reliance on revenue from fines and fees distorts incentives and can lead to the misallocation of public safety resources. The recent increase in using private companies to collect fines and fees further exacerbates these issues.

www.usccr.gov/pubs/docs/Statutory_Enforcement_Report2017.pdf