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CC - (1) Discussion of Findings and Recommendations Related to the Public Safety Review; and (2) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate
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Meeting Date: April 26, 2021
Contact Person/Dept: Serena Wright-Black, City Manager’s Office
Phone Number: (310) 253-6000
Fiscal Impact: No General Fund: N/A
Public Hearing: No Action Item: No Attachments: Yes
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (04/21/2021)
Department Approval: John Nachbar, City Manager (04/21/2021)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) discuss findings and recommendations related to the Public Safety Review; and (2) provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND
On May 25, 2020 George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer during an arrest for allegedly using counterfeit money. After his death, demonstrations and protests were held across the world calling for an end to individual, institutional, and systemic racism and the killings of countless unarmed African Americans by police.
After receiving community feedback, City Council directed the City Manager’s Office to lead a comprehensive 90-day study and bring back recommendations on options to reimagine public safety in Culver City through shifting resources and reducing the reliance on law enforcement to address various community needs. Council also approved professional agreements with consultants, Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM) to conduct a workload and deployment analysis, review staffing levels and organizational structure and Saul Sarabia from Solidarity Consulting to assist with data collection and examination related to race equity and social justice amongst other related services.
The 90-day review was structured to allow for diverse experiences and perspectives from the public. Staff and consultants held several community meetings as well as discussions with the Chief Advisory Panel, Finance Advisory Panel, General Plan Advisory Committee and City employees trained by the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE). There were also six separate focus group discussions held. In addition, members of the public were invited to share their opinions, experiences and priorities related to public safety services, as well as perceptions of the Culver City Police Department (CCPD), via a community survey that was available online and in print. There was also a dedicated webpage and email address created so that members of the public could submit any comments and follow the review as it progressed.
On October 12, 2020 City Council received the City Manager’s report and recommendations (Attachment 1) as well as a presentation of the consultants’ initial findings.
City Manager’s Office
The City Manager’s recommendations were designed to build and reinforce trust, decrease the reliance on police officers, and address concerns expressed pertaining to police culture. In summary, those recommendations included:
• Additional policies, training and resources pertaining to anti-bias, racial equity and social justice
• Developing and implementing a restorative justice program
• Reassigning non-criminal police department programs and services
• Reinvesting police department funding to youth programs and social services
• Creating pilot programs related to adult diversion and mental health crisis response
On January 25, 2021 Council discussed the final reports received from CPSM and Solidarity Consulting (collectively “Reports”).
Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM)
CPSM’s review was designed to provide City Council with a baseline of the current operations and offer recommendations to improve overall organizational efficiency. The final report (Attachment 2) submitted by CPSM includes 129 recommendations. It should be noted that CPSM determined that the budgeted staffing level of sworn CCPD personnel is appropriate in consideration of the current workload and responsibilities. Further, it was mentioned that there could be opportunities to convert some sworn positions to civilian and that adding additional non-sworn professional staff would benefit the department. Key recommendations fall within the following area:
• Succession planning
• Staffing and personnel deployment
• Enhanced training plan
• Review of internal operations
• Software procurement
• Policy development and review/update of existing policies
• Reassignment of non-criminal programs and activities
Solidarity Consulting (Solidarity)
As previously stated, Solidarity’s scope of work focused on providing a racial equity and social justice level of review for each phase of the project, facilitate community engagement, and make recommendations to address equity and social justice issues related to public safety. Solidarity’s final report (Attachment 3) includes the following recommendations:
• Discontinue the Mental Health Emergency Team and remove police from emergency response calls involving individuals who are unhoused, suffering from mental health and/or substance abuse issues.
• Provide non-law enforcement response to certain misdemeanor charges.
• Create a pre-arrest diversion/restorative justice program
• Study viability of removing police from traffic enforcement
• Council oversight of racial equity implementation
• Review CCPD labor costs and commit to no layoff or new hires
• Assess pending retirements, cost of buyouts, and attrition opportunities
At the conclusion of that January 25, 2021 meeting, City Council directed staff to work with the newly formed City Council Ad Hoc Crisis Response Subcommittee (Subcommittee), consisting of Mayor Fisch and Council member McMorrin, to develop a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a project manager to assist with the design of a mobile crisis response program.
DISCUSSION
Several measures have been implemented that are aligned with the spirit of the recommendations outlined in the Reports and are also responsive to Council’s direction pertaining to crisis response.
Crisis Response
On February 16, 2021 staff began meeting with the Subcommittee in developing an RFP to retain a qualified consultant to assist in the design of a comprehensive mobile crisis intervention program for individuals experiencing mental health, behavioral health and other issues related to homelessness in Culver City. The scope of work includes a thorough review of similar programs operating across the country, a comprehensive review of the work completed in Phase One of the Public Safety Review, integration of the City’s existing work with the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), Reimagining Public Safety through the General Plan Update (GPU) process, existing homelessness outreach programming and mental health response, engagement and partnership with community organizations, those with lived experiences, and advocates working with unhoused communities.
Additionally, this consultant will review the City’s current dispatch system, call types and call volume for mental health and homelessness response, provide recommendations on the best team configuration and required equipment, develop an annual operational budget, and design a systematic way to track calls, generate reports and evaluate and monitor progress. With the release of the RFP expected to occur April 29, 2021, staff anticipates the review of proposals to begin in June 2021, interviews occurring July 2021 and a final vendor selection occurring in August 2021.
Equity-Related Measures
Over the last several years the City has engaged in a variety of equity initiatives. Within the previous 12+ months the following has been implemented.
• City Council Ad Hoc Equity Subcommittee: The Equity Subcommittee was formed in 2018. Its adopted purpose was to (1) recommend a citywide equity policy, 2) guide the implementation of the policy through staff, and 3) in consultation with affected communities and regional partners, ensure accountability of the policy at all levels of government. Over the Summer of 2020, the Equity Subcommittee facilitated a series of teach-ins and conversations around individual, institutional, and structural racism. Each conversation was focused on how racism shows up in healthcare, education, employment, policing, housing, and other systems. Some of the objectives of the Equity Subcommittee were subsequently transferred to the newly created Equity and Human Relations Advisory Committee and others to be incorporated into the Racial Equity Action Plan.
• Equity and Human Relations Advisory Committee (EHRAC): City Council established EHRAC in January 2020, with the first members being seated in July 2020. The purpose of EHRAC is to recommend programs, policies, and activities that promote positive human relations and equitable outcomes and opportunities in all aspects of community life, encourage and improve intergroup relations, and reduce prejudice, discrimination and inequities. City Council approved EHRAC’s work plan in March 2021. EHRAC will be facilitating two virtual workshops this fiscal year: 1) an event pertaining to hate crimes on May 14th and 2) an event celebrating and recognizing Juneteenth to occur on June 19th.
• Commissions, Boards, and Committees: In January 2020 City Council introduced an Ordinance amending Culver City Municipal Code 3.03 which allowed non-registered voters and minors over age 16 to be eligible for appointment to City commissions. Equity and inclusivity language was also added to reflect City Council policy that each commission, board and committee ensure that its programs, policies and activities provide equal access and opportunities to all persons and that all elected and appointed officials are required to participate in ongoing training related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
• My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Local Action Plan: The City accepted President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Challenge. As a part of the challenge, the City drafted a Local Action Plan (Plan), adopting milestones to ensure boys and young men of color have opportunities and access to quality education, housing and career preparation training, that will lead to improved life outcomes. The Plan was adopted by City Council in February 2020. The public launch event and associated implementation plan has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP): In August 2020, through an RFP process, the City awarded a contract to Mason Tillman Associates with the goal of developing a citywide racial equity action plan that will allow the City to: 1) assess inequity in the city’s practices, policies, and procedures; 2) set goals that move the city toward equity using a results-based accountability model; and 3) provide specific tools for city staff to apply the accountability model and a racial equity lens to their daily work. The draft REAP is expected to be presented to City Council for consideration in August 2021.
• Department Head Evaluations: In 2019, the City Manager began reevaluating the performance evaluation process for department heads. It was determined to make changes to the process and the associated forms. The revised evaluation form, which the City began using in February 2021, includes a key performance factor in which the department head is evaluated on how they have demonstrated a commitment to diversity in the management of personnel and department operations.
Culver City Police Department
Over the last year, the Police Department has implemented several initiatives that have focused on improving the overall professionalism, accountability, and transparency of the organization, as well as evolving and enhancing the Department’s policing approach and community engagement. The following are some highlights of those initiatives:
• “Park, Bike, Walk, and Talk” patrol deployment emphasizes getting police officers out of their vehicles and patrolling the community on foot and on bicycles. This change in deployment aims to increase interaction with police officers and community members on a daily basis, allowing officers to humanize themselves to the public they serve, as well as build partnerships that can be utilized to address crime and other challenges in a community-oriented manner.
• “Refocused Policing Directive” prioritizes emergency services and response to calls for service, redirects patrol officers’ efforts towards more serious and hazardous traffic safety concerns and crime, and largely moves away from conducting traffic stops for low-level traffic infractions. This refocused policing approach has also been another important step towards addressing community concerns that low-level traffic infraction enforcement has a disproportionate impact on certain segments of our community, particularly for community members of color.
• “Racial Identity Profiling Act” (RIPA) was fully implemented and launched, in accordance with the California Department of Justice, on January 1, 2021. This proactive effort made CCPD the first police department in the region, except for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Los Angeles Sheriff Department (LASD), to become fully compliant with RIPA, well ahead of the April 1, 2023 legally required reporting deadline. RIPA mandates that all police-initiated contacts capture and report perceived demographic data, including race, gender, age, sexual orientation, language fluency, and disability, as well as the reason for all contacts, actions taken during the contact, and ultimately the result of the contact. RIPA is an important initiative in strengthening law enforcement and community relations through enhanced transparency and accountability. CCPD’s RIPA data is included in its posted monthly reports.
• Use of Force Policy Review: In accordance with former President Obama’s pledge, and the Mayor’s commitment to act, the Department undertook a comprehensive review and reform of its Use of Force policy. The review included a significant amount of community engagement and input, including utilizing a community survey, as well as substantial involvement from the Chief’s Advisory Panel and the City’s Government Alliance on Race Equity group. This process and review resulted in creating one of the most progressive and accountable Use of Force policies in the industry.
• CCPD Monthly Report: In the interest of transparency and data sharing, the department has developed a comprehensive and detailed report available to the community monthly. The CCPD Monthly Report provides data regarding use of force incidents, personnel complaints, RIPA traffic stop data, arrest data, detailed crime statistics, traffic statistics, drone deployments, and department demographics. The detail provided in the report, and the frequency in which it is disseminated, is unlike any other reporting found in the region.
• Chief’s Advisory Panel: The purpose of this panel is to provide a diverse, cross-section of the community’s perspective to the Police Chief on Police Department policy, procedures, new programs, and equipment. This feedback is used to enhance the Department’s community policing efforts and contribute to molding the future of the organization. The panel was selected during a thorough vetting process by members of the City’s GARE (Government Alliance on Race and Equity) team.
• Partnership to Advance Youth (PAY) and Youth Diversion & Development: PAY was created in an effort to engage our community’s youth, build relationships, foster trust and legitimacy, as well as to divert young people away from the criminal justice system. PAY focuses on partnership and engagement between youth, ages 12 to 18, and the men and women of the Police Department in an informal, educational, fun, and safe environment. In the coming months, PAY will host various and continuous organized activities such as team-building exercises, discussion forums, exercise groups, mentorship activities, and volunteer work in the community. PAY also encompasses the department’s involvement with the Youth Diversion & Development (YDD) program, with an emphasis on growing the number of juveniles diverted to social services and away from the criminal justice system. Since the inception of the YDD program in the summer of 2019, a total of 158 juveniles have been arrested by the police department, with 59 being diverted to the New Earth organization. This represents 37% of all juveniles arrested by the CCPD that have been diverted. The police department is committed at continuing its effort to divert youth away from the criminal justice system by continually working with private and public entities.
• Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM) Recommendations: As previously mentioned, CPSM conducted a comprehensive analysis and assessment of the Culver City Police Department’s staffing, operations, effectiveness, and efficiency. Ultimately, the report detailed 129 recommendations ranging across the three bureaus (Operations, Investigations, and Administrations) of the Police Department. Many of these recommendations addressed operational issues that the Police Department was in progress of implementing and were a part of the recent change of leadership. To date, the Department has successfully completed and/or implemented approximately 60% of all the recommendations, with another 25% of the recommendations currently in progress.
The purpose of this agenda item is for City Council to discuss and consider the submitted Reports pertaining to the City’s public safety review and, if desired, provide the City Manager with further direction.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The fiscal impact is dependent upon what recommendations, if any, City Council determines to implement.
ATTACHMENTS
1. ATT 1_2021-04-26_CC_Public Safety Review Report_101220
2. ATT 2_2021-04-26 _CC_CPSM Final Report and Recommendations
3. ATT 3_2021-04-26_CC_Solidarity Final Report and Recommendations
MOTION(S)
That the City Council:
1. Discuss findings and recommendations related to the Public Safety Review; and
2. Provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.