FERGUSON COMMISSION MEETING December 15, 2014 Public Discussion - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

FERGUSON COMMISSION MEETING December 15, 2014 Public Discussion Summary from December 8 Meeting 1

PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS Public Open Mic § Session 3 Small Group § Discussions: Use of Force § Racial Profiling § Community § Policing 2

PUBLIC OPEN MIC COMMENTS Educational VonDerrit Myers Disparity • A special prosecutor is needed • Schools in St. Louis are segregated • Existing system is not impartial • Black community needs more control over schools Law Enforcement Miscellaneous • Police need more and • Court reform is needed better training • Crisis exposes systemic • Police need to really be injustice and racism held accountable • Public needs more time to speak 3

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS • Use of Force: • Describe excessive use of force by law 1 enforcement • Recommended actions to address issue • Racial Profiling: • Describe impacts of racial profiling on 2 community • Recommended actions to address issue • Community Policing • Identify community policing concerns 3 • Recommended actions to improve community policing 4

USE OF FORCE ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS Biased & Preconceived § Excessive Use of Force Is: Minority, mentally ill & § LGBT treated harshly Protestors tear gassed… § Fear-Based: § Residents fear police § Police fear community § Ego-Based § Cowboy mentality § Punishing § Victims are punished for § past arrests Excessive § Heavy-handed reactions § Disrespectful § 5 Belittling behavior, § especially towards youth

RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS Police Practices § Withhold salaries of officers involved § in shootings until end of review Use special investigator for all police § related shootings Community Practices § Treat officers the way you want to be § treated Build better relationships with police § through community & youth programs Legal Aid & Defense § Increase number of public defenders § to provide quality defense Dept. of Defense § Have depts. that receive military § equipment train officers on de- 6 escalation tactics & cultural competency

RACIAL PROFILING ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS • Traffic & pedestrian stops Widespread • Blacks stopped, searched Practice and arrested more, but have less contraband • People don’t have money to Economic pay fines / fees Impacts • Failure to pay leads to vicious cycle • Many reports to police Community come from biased public Issue • Media feeds biased perceptions Promotes • Profiling reinforces for public that blacks are more Racism criminal and dangerous ISSUES & CONCERNS 7

RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS Improve Police Limit Increase Police Enforce MO’s Address Community Practices Economic Screening & Profiling Law Bias Hardships Training • More police • Hold • Take meetings with departments • Stop fining • Anti-racist responsibility community accountable for people for screening for for personal enforcing the minor police • Seek consent for bias law offenses candidates searches • Warrant • Cultural • Hold news • Have profiling amnesty awareness, media violations affect sensitivity and accountable for pay and communication biased promotions reporting training for police 8

COMMUNITY POLICING ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS Internal Police Practices: •Racism in departments and officer associations Disrespectful & Police Aggressive Policing: Training •Harrasment •Trainers have bias •Stereotyping of too community members 9

RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS Strengthen Citizen / Police § Connections Establish civilian review boards § Introduce police volunteer § coordinators Improve Youth / Police § Interactions Police partner with youth-focused § organizations Enhance Officer Training & Prep § Anti-racism screening & training § Reform Police Practices § Police wear video cameras § Increase Community Policing § Funding 10 Spend more money improving § relationships, not equipment