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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCitizen Review Board - Minutes - 09/13/2023CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD (CiRB) REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at 5:30 PM 222 Laporte Avenue, Colorado River Room (Main Floor) This information is available in Spanish or other languages at no cost to a person who would like this information translated or communicated in Spanish, or another language. Please call (970)416-4254 or titlesix@fcgov.com to make a request for information in other languages. Esta información está disponible en español u otro idioma, sin costo para la persona que le gustaria esta información traducida o comunicada en español u otro idioma. Favor llame al (970)416-4254 o a titlesix@fcgov.com para solicitor información en otros idiomas. Auxiliary aids and services are available for persons with disabilities. TTY: please use 711 to call (970)221-6753. 1. CALL TO ORDER – called to order by Shamera Loose at 5:37 PM 2. ROLL CALL Board Members Present: Michael Ruttenberg, Mike O’Malley, Beth Grant, Shamera Loose, Melissa Rosas Board Members Absent: Sally Lee Absent Board Member(s) Who Provided Notice of Absence in Advance of Meeting: Allison Dineen Staff Members Present: Sgt. Kim Cochran, FCPS, Jessica Jones, Staff Liaison, Jenny Lopez Filkins, Senior Assistant City Attorney 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION a. Public Input – 5 minutes per individual 1. Jason Knebel, a resident in Fort Collins for 30 years, states that he is pro- police and pro-law enforcement. On September 6, there was altercation during a protest in front of Planned Parenthood. Jason stated this one occurred because one side was not respectful, and one was. He said FCPS is aware of how emotionally charged this situation is and they had an officer come out and acknowledge that no one should be interfering with blocking signs, etc. According to Jason, if FCPS had taken 5 minutes to come to the scene to separate the group, the altercation wouldn’t have occurred. Jason displayed a flag that protestors attempted to block. He is not interested in filing a complaint, but wants to ensure that protest rights are protected. CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD (CiRB) REGULAR MEETING 2. Veronica Olivas is a Citizen Observer Reporter for the League of Women Voters, here to listen in 3. Samantha Driggers is also with League of Women Voters who attended and recorded the meeting, hoping to draw in citizen interest from their league. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. August 9, 2023: Mike Ruttenberg moved to approve the draft minutes, Beth seconded motion, approved by Shamera Loose, Elizabeth Grant, Mike O’Malley, and Mike Ruttenberg. Melissa Rosas abstained from voting, who was not present last month. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Voicemail: 1. Voicemail from Jason Knebel - Beth returned his call to inform him of resources available to file a complaint. b. E-mail: 1. Email from Curtis C., requesting the board investigate the Police Chief and IA department. Shamera sent him resources to file a complaint. 2. Email from Gary Pacheco, requesting contact from board for resources. Shamera contacted to direct him towards resources and clarify the scope of the CiRB’s work. 3. Email from Tytre, requesting board’s opinion of FCPS and previously reviewed case. Shamera contacted to direct him towards resources and clarify the scope of the CiRB’s work and to confirm that the memo produced by the CiRB subcommittee reflects the findings of the CiRB subcommittee who reviewed the case. No replies from any citizens. c. Training: School Resource Officer Program with Sgt. Ferraro Sgt. Andy Ferraro is the SRO Unit Head. He has been with the City of Fort Collins since 2014. Cpl. Jarad Sargent has been with the SRO unit for ten years. He currently supervises the unit and provides back up to SRO officers when they are absent or need assistance. The SRO program was established in 1995 between FCPS and PSD. They CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD (CiRB) REGULAR MEETING currently have officers at every high school and middle school, along with officers who are in charge of feeder elementary schools that lead to their assigned middle schools. They also do trainings at charter schools. Their program goals are written into their contract with PSD, which include community policing, building positive relationships and improving perceptions. SROs reduce crime in schools, do class presentations, community presentations, and they provide resources to staff, parents, and students. They have a program for the teachers that is very intensive, called Responses to School Violence, which concentrates on education on security assessments and threat assessments. The officers can also provide resources to the school about knowledge about family history, which assists with understanding all factors. It is also the SRO’s responsibility to assess the calls that come in through the Safe2Tell Hotline. Their goal is to identify needs and solutions, even if that solution isn’t coming through FCPS. They also make referrals to programs like Restorative Justice and Mediation and Family Outreach. Options for SROs in handling incidents start with Counseling and Mentoring, and then proceed to recommendations of Diversion Programs, criminal summons to court, and Juvenile Detention Center. Juveniles are rarely detained in the detention center, even for crimes such as assault. Instead, they are usually booked and then their parents are allowed to come pick them up. SROs make an effort to arrest students, when necessary, away from the school. Trainings that SROs give for the school include Youth Police Academy, Standard Responses, “Run, Hide, Fight”, along with announced and unannounced lock down drills. They have implemented data collection processes that allow them to capture the statistics of student contacts and resolutions. With a goal of charging less students, FCPS has made the decision to allow issues surrounding marijuana, alcohol, or disorderly conduct to be handled by the school, unless it is a victim-based crime that they are required to investigate. SROs do not often have difficulty ascertaining if a fight is mutual or if it is a case of bullying. Sex offenses can include anything from sexting to sexual assaults. Positive interactions with students are typically tracked through the “Mentoring” column of the data collected. Numbers of students do not often fluctuate very much at the schools and FCPS anticipates that 2021-2022 school year will be considered a “one-off” year, in regard to the increased numbers. It was primarily due to the pandemic, and students returning to CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD (CiRB) REGULAR MEETING school after not interacting with many people for a long time. d. Citizen’s Review Board Work Plan Discussion: Motion to approve Citizen’s Review Board Work Plan by Melissa Rosas, seconded by Mike Ruttenberg. Vote was unanimously approved. 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 8. a. Ensure that Melissa Rosas is removed as a voicemail recipient. b. City Council is considering resolution that will adopt revised boards and commissions manual with a new attendance policy, which will come into effect if approved by City Council. The largest change is that members are limited to 2 unexcused absences or absences that equal more than 25% of total meetings. It will not be retroactive, so only absences that occur after September 19th will qualify. 9. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS 10. OTHER BUSINESS 11. ADJOURNMENT – Melissa Rosas motioned to adjourn at 7:18 PM, seconded by Mike Ruttenberg.