Police Resolution Revealed

Months have passed since the Madison police shot and killed Tony Robinson and this is all we got? Will it make any real difference?

File Name
Declaring the City of Madison’s intention to review policies, procedures, culture and training of the Madison Police Department by hiring an expert(s) in community policing, law, problem oriented policing, racial disparities and implicit bias and the creation of an ad hoc committee.

Fiscal Note
It is anticipated this review will be accomplished with existing staff resources and up to $50,000 in the operating budget to hire an expert(s) with the fore mentioned qualifications.

Title
Declaring the City of Madison’s intention to review policies, procedures, culture and training of the Madison Police Department by hiring an expert(s) in community policing, law, problem oriented policing, racial disparities and implicit bias and the creation of an ad hoc committee.

Body
WHEREAS, the City of Madison is committed to be an exemplary participant in the national and local dialogue on the role of law enforcement in the community; and

WHEREAS, the City of Madison understands a community should participate in defining how it wants to be policed and the community then has an obligation to review culture, practices, and procedures and then has an obligation to support the police department in fulfilling its responsibility; and

WHEREAS, the City of Madison is committed to involving the community in advising and making recommendations to the Mayor, the Common Council, the Police and Fire Commission and the Madison Police Chief on matters of setting policies and procedures that reflect our city’s longstanding tradition of community policing; and

WHEREAS, the City of Madison is committed to transparency of policies, procedures, culture and training within the Madison Police Department; and

WHEREAS, a comprehensive review of Madison Police Department’s culture, training, policies and procedures, is critical to understanding the current status of our police department and identifying if there are areas for improvement, particularly in the areas of racial disparity, implicit bias, of use of force, dealing with people with mental health problems or who are under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, the rights of civilian witnesses, disproportionate contact with youth of color, culturally-related behavioral variations, and other areas;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City will allocate up to $50,000 to hire an expert(s) in community policing, law, problem oriented policing, racial disparities and implicit bias to thoroughly review the Madison Police Department policies, procedures, culture and training. A citizen committee of 3 will be appointed by the Mayor to work with the Mayor’s office to review the applications/RFP of the fore mentioned expert(s), these citizens will be paid a stipend for their time and effort .The contract with the recommended expert(s) will be subject to approval by the Common Council. The expert(s) will provide a report of findings, including recommended improvements to the ad hoc committee for further review and proposed action.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City will create an ad hoc committee to
1. Complete a thorough review of the Madison Police Department’s policies, procedures, culture and training using the report, other resources and testimony and
2. Make final recommendations to the Mayor, the Common Council, Police and Fire Commission and the Madison Police Chief, by July 2016 with interim recommendations when deemed necessary.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the ad hoc committee members will be a diverse body composed of City of Madison residents appointed by the Mayor, including the appointments of two co-chairs, and will include but not be limited to representatives of the African American, Asian, Latino and LGBTQ communities as well as a diversity of ages, socioeconomic status, and work experiences and organizations in the fields of mental health, youth advocacy and AODA. The appointments by the Mayor to the ad hoc committee will be submitted to the Common Council for approval. Upon completion of this work and the Common Council receiving the recommendations of the ad hoc committee the committee will be dissolved.