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Home My WebLink AboutIR 10133 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10133 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council May 1, 2018 h�T�i7 Page 1 of 4 �i �i7 Y *a SUBJECT: COMPREHENSIVE DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL INITIATIVE rrn f PROJECT AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION EFFORTS The purpose of this Informal Report is to update the Fort Worth City Council of the Police Department's involvement, progress, and ongoing efforts with the National Initiative Project Summary and Overview of National Initiative Project: Fort Worth is one of six pilot sites for the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice (NI), a project designed to improve relationships and increase trust between communities and the criminal justice system, while also advancing public understanding of the issues contributing to those relationships. The National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay college of Criminal Justice, in partnership with the Justice Collaborator at Yale Law School, the Center for Policing Equity at John Jay College and UCLA, and the Urban Institute in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice coordinates the program. The NI's work involves trust-building interventions with police departments and communities based on three pillars: 1. Enhancing Procedural Justice (PJ): improving the processes and manner in which the police interact with the public and how those interactions shape the public's views of the police, their willingness to obey the law and their engagement in co-producing public safety in their neighborhoods. o This involves the completion of department wide training of all police personnel, spanning approximately two years of two one-day courses: Procedural Justice I and II. o This training will be incorporated and sustained through required courses in future departmental training cycles. 2. Reducing the impact of Implicit Bias: the automatic associations individuals make between groups of people and stereotypes about those groups, and the influence it has in policing. o This involves the completion of department wide training of all police personnel spanning one year in a one-day course: Procedural Justice III. o This training will also be provided to key community members or liaisons, to better facilitate ongoing community engagement or to facilitate discussions on this topic. o This training will be incorporated and sustained through required courses in future departmental training cycles. 3. Fostering reconciliation: open discussions between marginalized communities and law enforcement to address historical tensions, grievances, and misconceptions that contributes to mutual mistrust and misunderstandings that interfere with police and community collaboration. o This involves a series of community listening sessions facilitated by executive level members of the police department with various communities throughout the city. o After initial sessions are complete, these projects are sustainable at the commander or divisional level. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10133 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council May 1, 2018 h�T�i7 Page 2 of 4 �i �i7 Y *a SUBJECT: COMPREHENSIVE DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL INITIATIVE rrn f PROJECT AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION EFFORTS Progress update: • Summary of Community En. jements and Activity May 2017-April 2018: o Departmental PJ trainers and the Chief of Police attended and participated in over 70 community related engagements o Some highlights include: ■ Speaking to local college and youth leadership groups • Remington College • David L. Walker Intermediate School • Girl Scouts of Texas • Prairie View University • Big Brothers Big Sisters • Trinity Christian Young Men's Group • Tarrant County College Community Conversations • Young Men's Leadership Academy ■ Attending and speaking at community forums and events • Unity in the Community Coalition • Just Stop the Violence Coalition ■ Barber Shop Community Conversations with the Chief of Police ■ Hosted PJ Community Kick-Off event ■ Attend monthly meetings with Tarrant County Disproportionality and Disparities Advisory Committee ■ Providing training to local Clergy groups and Chief's Advisory Board ■ Work with FWISD to facilitate PJ conversations about Implicit Bias in local schools • Eastern Hills High School • Rosemont Middle School ■ Other presentations to schools, churches and community centers • "What to do When Stopped by Police" • Read 2 Win During the last quarter, the East Division has participated in the following events that are consistent with Procedural Justice Programming: • Starting in October, 2017-- East Division Officers participate in a reading program at MLK Community Center. This program not only helps to fulfill the goal of having all children reading at the third grade level by 2025 but also is aimed at one of the four central principles of PJ by conveying trustworthy motives even to our youngest members of society. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10133 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council May 1, 2018 h�T�i7 Page 3 of 4 �i �i7 Y *a SUBJECT: COMPREHENSIVE DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL INITIATIVE rrn PROJECT AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION EFFORTS • January 15, 2018— The Commander of East Division, Michael Shedd, collaborated with Community Frontline on several events over the past year including the premier of the documentary 76105 Dr. King Won't Rise. This documentary focused on the relationship between the department and the community and the steps we are taking to keep those lines of communication open. If you have not seen the documentary, it is worth checking out. • March 24, 2018—FWISD Racial Equality Summit. The Commander of the East Division, Michael Shedd, participated in the FWISD Racial Equality Summit. There was a question and answer forum during the summit to discuss maintaining open relationships with the community, and allowing members of the community to have a voice. • Over the past 3 months, the FWPD collaborated with the Stop Six Mobile Food Pantry. On the last Wednesday of each of the aforementioned months, FWPD officers stood side by side with other volunteers handing out fresh produce in Stop Six. The goal of this initiative is consistent with our National Initiative Procedural Justice Program, to improve the relationship between the police department and the members of the community, and to build trust and confidence in our department as honest and benevolent guardians of the community. o Description and information on department involvement with NI is on department's website. The focus of the community component of the NI is broad. It includes sharing information regarding the Department's involvement with the NI staff, to discuss PJ and explain its mission, to facilitate open discussions regarding implicit bias, to host community listening sessions and identify the action and opportunities to develop collaborative efforts that build trusting relationships between the community and police department in order to achieve mutual goals. The departmental community programs supervisor is Lieutenant Roy Hudson and the community PJ liaison is Joycia "Sunshyne" Johnson. • Summary of Departmental Activity: o Department wide training for all officers: ■ PJ-1 (Procedural Justice and Legitimacy) one-day course completed 2016 ■ PJ-II (Perceptions, Mindsets and Communication) one-day course completed 2017 ■ PJ-III (Implicit Bias and the Science of Justice) one-day course anticipated completion date May 2018 o Neighborhood Police Officer (NPO) PJ and Community Engagement Training ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10133 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council May 1, 2018 h�T�i7 Page 4 of 4 �i �i7 Y *a SUBJECT: COMPREHENSIVE DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL INITIATIVE rrn f PROJECT AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION EFFORTS The Chief incorporated PJ refresher courses into the required TCOLE training cycles for all FWPD officers. The frequency of internal employee forums with the Chief of Police increased and an "Ask The Executive Q&A" option was added to employee e-portal to increase internal communication and transparency. NI components have been incorporated into new departmental mission statement, and improvements were made to the police department website and social media pages (i.e., General Orders, Chief's Advisory Board info, and Racial Profiling data posted online, better branding with positive media stories, etc.). Upcoming events: • Summer 2018--Training for SRO's to utilize in partnership with FWISD o Facilitating youth engagements • June 2018--Train the Trainer for Community Liaisons, NPO's and SRO's o This will be instructed by Center of Policing Equity and other NI site instructors o The focus will be facilitating PJ3 (implicit bias) conversations with the community • The Sunshyne Network, working in conjunction with a Police Department liaison, shall develop a plan of action to increase community awareness and support for The Procedural Justice National Initiative • Community listening sessions throughout the city (dates TBA) If you have any questions or would like additional information regarding the National Initiative Project or any of the programs outlined above please contact Assistant Chief Charles Ramirez at 817-392-4231 or at Charles.Ram irez(o)fortworthtexas.gov. David Cooke City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS