TO: Committee of the Whole - Public Safety and Human Services
FROM: Mayor Angela Birney
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR CONTACT(S):
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Executive |
Malisa Files |
425-556-2166 |
DEPARTMENT STAFF:
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Executive |
Jason Brown |
Council Administrative Coordinator |
TITLE:
title
RESOLUTION: My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Pledge
OVERVIEW STATEMENT:
recommendation
Per Council’s discussion of the My Brother’s Keeper Resolution on May 17, 2021, attached is a revised resolution based on Council input received (Attachment A) as well as an alternative resolution that outlines the steps to take if the City would like to accept the My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge and adopt the My Brother’s Keeper Equity Framework (Attachment B). The My Brother’s Keeper resolution is a Council driven effort as a result of the 2022 Council Retreat.
The My Brother’s Keeper initiative is a coordinated effort to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential. A part of My Brother’s Keeper is a policing pledge to review and reform use of force policies and redefine public safety and combat systematic racism within law enforcement. Included in Attachment A is a revised resolution pledging Council’s full support for the efforts of My Brother’s Keeper.
body
☒ Additional Background Information/Description of Proposal Attached
REQUESTED ACTION:
☐ Receive Information ☒ Provide Direction ☐ Approve
REQUEST RATIONALE:
• Relevant Plans/Policies:
The Redmond Police Department has met or exceeded the goals outlined in the My Brother’s Keeper Reimagining Policing Pledge by reviewing, engaging, reporting, and reforming Police use of force systems and policies.
• Required:
Several reforms of police use of force have passed the state legislature and Redmond’s Police Chief has worked with state delegations on policy review and best practices in policing.
• Council Request:
Supporting the My Brother’s Keeper initiative is an action item from the Council Retreat list of action priorities. Additionally, Council recommended accepting the My Brother’s Keeper Challenge as well as adopting the My Brother’s Keeper Equity Framework.
• Other Key Facts:
The attached resolutions are a Council driven effort based on the action items discussed as a part of the 2022 Council Retreat.
OUTCOMES:
The My Brother’s Keeper Resolution is in response to Council’s retreat priority action items requesting a resolution be drafted to support the My Brother’s Keeper Reimagining Policing Pledge. Additional Council input was solicited on May 26 and any additions are contained in the revised resolution in Attachment A.
A second resolution (Attachment B) was proposed including language recommending the City become a MBK Certified Community. Some of the actions outlined encompass accepting the MBK Community Challenge and adopting the MBK Equity Framework. It is important to note the City is in the middle of internal and external DEI assessments that will provide the foundation for the DEI Strategic Plan that is Redmond specific. To the extent possible, the elements of the MBK Equity Framework will be evaluated as a part of the DEI Strategic Plan, in light of the community input received.
In 2020, the Redmond Police Department began a major update to all internal policies and procedures that govern day-to-day operations. By July 25, 2021, Police had revised and implemented all critical and required policies. During that time, Police staff met with and reviewed the policies with community groups such as, Right to Breathe, Centro Cultural Mexicano, Northwest Immigrant Rights and Redmond’s Community Equity Action Team (CEAT), to name a few.
The Redmond Police Department has upheld the My Brother’s Keeper Pledge that encourages communities to focus on achievable goals and steps to make communities safer and more respondent to the residents they serve.
COMMUNITY/STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH AND INVOLVEMENT:
• Timeline (previous or planned):
Council requested Chief Lowe reach out to CEAT to gain any thoughts they might have on the resolution. Councilmember Anderson collected other feedback from the community that is shown below.
• Outreach Methods and Results:
N/A
• Feedback Summary:
Input received to date includes:
• Puzzlement as to how My Brother’s Keeper relates to overall public safety.
• Not seeing any operational change as the resolution’s outcome.
• There are no metrics to evaluate any outcome.
• The resolution doesn’t apply to fire and mental health staffing.
• The document references their earlier support of the pledge in 2020. The most meaningful change in policy resulted from change in legislation by WA state versus any community input or engagement. There has not been any additional engagement with communities of color (specifically the Black community). Without any demonstrated outcomes from the earlier pledge, there is little assurance this will result in meaningful change.
• “WHEREAS, the City of Redmond has a longstanding youth leadership board, Redmond Youth Partnership Advisory Committee, focused on community service and promoting the voice of young people and building a community where youth are valued and involved,” If this is mentioned in this report, it would be important to indicate what percentage of participate includes youth and adult representatives from the demographics impacted by the statement in the first clause “is a coordinated effort to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential”. In other words, are there any specific issues this group has raised or addressed to address this gap in Redmond? Does the group have the representation necessary to address this gap? Is there any intentional effort by the group in recruiting or engagement to address communities where this gap exists?
• “REVIEW Redmond’s police use of force policies” - to what aim and by what criteria? RTB has given Redmond PD our criteria, and the response is documented on our site. Outside of that, I know of at least one other group who has engaged with Redmond PD, but there is no visibility in these conversations or transparency in how they are conducting this review.
• “ENGAGE the Redmond community by including a diverse range of input, experiences and stories in the policy review” The current engagement by the Redmond PD has been broad engagement with the community at large. I am aware of no intentional engagement of the specific communities of color indicated in the gap criteria quoted above. Without any specifics of how communities of color will be represented and engaged, the assumption is the public safety team will proceed in the same manner. The primary issue without using approaches that include communities of color in safe and inclusive ways, the city will continue to see engagement in public forums where POC are outnumbered, and their voices marginalized.
• “REPORT the findings of the policy review to the Redmond community and seek feedback” - similar feedback as above. “Seeking feedback” has been at large and without specific intention to reach communities of color.
• “REFORM the City of Redmond police use of force policies;” this proclamation gives no indication how this will be done transparently and with any accountability or input of the impacted communities
• The biggest ask of the Right to Breathe, some level of oversight and ability to independently review and provide input to the public safety team has not been addressed. There is no effective forum to raise community concerns, ask for data, and provide input for future policy changes.
BUDGET IMPACT:
Total Cost:
N/A
Approved in current biennial budget: ☒ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Budget Offer Number:
N/A
Budget Priority:
Safe and Resilient
Other budget impacts or additional costs: ☐ Yes ☒ No ☐ N/A
If yes, explain:
N/A
Funding source(s):
N/A
Budget/Funding Constraints:
N/A
☐ Additional budget details attached
COUNCIL REVIEW:
Previous Contact(s)
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Date |
Meeting |
Requested Action |
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5/17/2022 |
Committee of the Whole - Public Safety and Human Services |
Provide Direction |
Proposed Upcoming Contact(s)
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Date |
Meeting |
Requested Action |
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6/21/2022 |
Committee of the Whole - Public Safety and Human Services |
Provide Direction |
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Click and select a date, or click and press delete if none. |
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Time Constraints:
N/A
ANTICIPATED RESULT IF NOT APPROVED:
If the Resolution is not passed, the City of Redmond will continue to adhere to the goals of the My Brother’s Keeper Reimagining Police Pledge.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: My Brother’s Keeper Original Resolution
Attachment B: My Brother’s Keeper Alternative Resolution