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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCITIZEN REVIEW BOARD - MINUTES - 11/13/2024CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD (CiRB) REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 5:30 PM 222 Laporte Ave, Colorado River Room Regular Meeting 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: Shamera Loose called to order at 5:35 PM 2. ROLL CALL: a. Board Members Present: Shamera Loose, Melissa Rosas, Mike O’Malley, Amy Hoeven, Veronica Olivas, Elizabeth Grant, Michael Ruttenberg b. Staff Members Present: Lieutenant Jeremy Yonce, Assistant City Attorney Sara Arfmann, Jessica Jones 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION a. Public Input – None 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: a. October 9, 2024: Mike O’Malley moved to approve, which was seconded by Veronica Olivas. Motion passed. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Voicemail: None b. E-mail: None c. Training: Domestic Violence Training Detective Brandon Wootan has been in law enforcement for 12 years. Board members CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD (CiRB) REGULAR MEETING are welcomed to ask questions, challenge points made or take a break if the information presented becomes overwhelming. Board Member Question: If you are part of a special task force, why was it created? Was it part of Obama’s Violence Against Women Act? The department was funded with both federal and state dollars. This presentation expands upon why it was created. Detective Wooten personally experienced domestic violence as a child and understood The amount of domestic violence cases that are reported versus the amount that occurs is very different, and each person in the community can impact the number of occurrences. Board Member Question: As we know, domestic violence “starts where it begins”. Is this issue addressed in grade schools, so that children have an understanding of what it is? Yes. FCPS believes that community education is imperative. Police officers cannot end domestic violence, so educating the community a key component of impact. FCPS speaks to schools and faith organizations, because when victims do not report to police officers, they often do report to faith organizers or teachers. When an abuser has access to a firearm, the chance of fatality increases by 400%. A common misconception is that drinking and drugs cause abuse, but this isn’t necessarily the case. There are factors that prevent victims from leaving, including: • Attachment, love, and hope for change • Children • Concerns for safety of others • Cultural expectations • Dependency for basic needs • Economic stability • Fear • Housing • Immigration status • Lack of social support systems • Shame and stigma Board Member Comment: Many people use generalities with pronouns, but it should be pointed out that men are also abused. That is correct; the statistics for the abuse of men are underrepresented because of the stigma of reporting. Victims often underestimate their partners’ ability to kill them. CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD (CiRB) REGULAR MEETING Board Member Comment: There are a lot of undocumented people in our community who do not report domestic violence out of fear of deportation, along with language barriers. That is correct. In many cultures, there is a fear of reporting because of a distrust of law enforcement, along with an assumption that that “is just how life goes”. Tactics of people who use violence: • Power and control • Minimizing, denying, and blaming • Using male privilege • Intensity • Jealousy • Control • Isolation • Criticism • Sabotage • Blame • Anger Board Member Question: Is a lot of it a “trickle-down” effect from family patterns? How often do children report domestic violence? FCPS does come across reports of domestic violence from children. When children report, it is often to a peer, who then reports it to a teacher. Board Member Question: How often is this presentation given to children? FCPS works with the Crawford Child Advocacy Center, who has a curriculum that they present to PSD. Our goal is to get more officers involved in that program. Board Member Comment: It seems like some schools have very robust peer programs, and students come in and give presentations and participate in activities, while other school programs are less robust. It is difficult to talk to victims about domestic violence. They need emotional support, more than they need advice. They should also be provided with resources, like FCPS and Crossroads Safehouse. When receiving a disclosure of domestic violence, it is important to listen more than speak, be cognizant of tone and posture, ask for more details, and understand that each time a victim has to tell their story, they experience new trauma. It is important not to describe victims as uncooperative, because that terminology blames the victim. Victims are unwilling. Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their partners as adults; the community has a responsibility to ensure that they do not become statistics. In a study done on victims of CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD (CiRB) REGULAR MEETING homicide 96% of the victims studied had not been in contact with anyone from law enforcement in the year previous to when the incident occurred. Attempts at strangulation are a significant predicator of more lethal violence in the future. Board Member Question: Does FCPS get many requests, if a person is an abuser, to seize their weapons? 32 states have some variation of a law where that happens automatically, but Colorado is not one of them. Board Member Question: Are there statistics on abusers coming from certain careers? No. Abusers come from all industries. There are a lot of assumptions about abusers, whether it is the career that they have, or their income status, but these assumptions do not align with statistics. Board Member Question: What were the statistics for 2020? The statistics went up, but because of pandemic, the number of people to report it to went down. Board Member Question: Is information about lethality assessments handed over during pre-trial to the prosecutors? Yes, a lethality assessment is handed over as part of the coordinated community response. FCPS has access to an evidence-based risk assessment tool called the Danger Assessment for Law Enforcement (DALE). If a person scores as high risk, they receive an in-person visit from a response team. Board Member Question: Do they have a lethality scale to assess people who are not in an intimate relationship with their abuser? No, not at this time. It is validated to be used only with intimate partner relationships, though with any sexuality and gender. Board Member Question: How is it validated? Through professional research that goes back to the 1990s. Researchers interviewed hundreds of victims and compared their responses, in order to apply it to future homicides and predict lethality. The Domestic Violence High Risk Team allows for increased access to resources, defender monitoring and accountability, and a coordinated response through a multi- CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD (CiRB) REGULAR MEETING disciplinary team. Board Member Question: How long has the DV High Risk Team been doing this? It was about a year and half ago that FCPS first discovered the DALE tool and presented it to executive staff. Since they have obtained access, they have seen significant impacts to statistics. Board Member Question: Is the team funded in perpetuity? The use of the DALE system was a one time purchase, and it includes ongoing support from the Geiger Institute, but FCPS may need additional funding in the future to address how many officers it takes to run the team. Grants are helpful, but they take time to receive. Board Member Question: Is Council aware of this tool? This is uncertain, but there will be increased messaging about the tool in 2025. Board Member Question: Does the county use this tool as well? No, but the county has access to other similar tools. Board Member Question: How does the DA decide, in a “he-said-she-said” situation, where one party has major injuries and one party does not, who is at fault? Is there a way to tell if the violence was mutual or not? As a justice system, it is important to get away from the idea that any situation is “he- said-she-said”. Something always exists, though it is true that an officer does not get to pick their victim. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a “slam-dunk” case; but collaboration has increased because of this team. Police investigations are important because DA’s can’t create evidence that does not exist. Board Member Question: Do you take child victims as witnesses? FCPS tries to avoid it, but it has happened. Board Member Question: Are statistics tracked? Yes, in order to justify funding for grants. The state will be offering more grant funding for this issue soon. Board Member Question: What is the usage rate of the DALE system across the country, to date? CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD (CiRB) REGULAR MEETING They have 80 communities across the nation that use the tool, and each community can consist of multiple agencies within one community. Board Member Question: If the DALE tool is proprietary, what does FCPS get with it? FCPS receives access to their resources, which are widely recognized in court hearings. 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. 2025 Work Plan: Melissa Rosas moves to approve, which was seconded by Mike O’Malley. Motion passed. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS 9. OTHER BUSINESS 10. ADJOURNMENT a. Mike Ruttenberg moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:20 PM, which was seconded by Amy Hoeven. Motion passed. Approved by a vote of the board on 12/11/2024