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Home My WebLink About09/24/2002 Adjourned Meeting 146 CITY OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 24, 2002 - 8:00 A.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS - CITY HALL 1. ROLL CALL Present: Council: Mayor Mary Place, presiding, Council Members Clarence Barnett, Paul George, John Puccinelli, and Bernard Sims Staff: Dick Zais, City Manager; Paul McMurray, Assistant City Attorney; Roy Willson, Interim Police Chief; Police Lt. Mike Merryman; and City Clerk Roberts Absent: Council Members Lynn Buchanan and Larry Mattson 2. CONSIDERATION AND REVIEW OF CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARD PROPOSALS Lt. Merryman gave Council a verbal update of the August 2001 Progress Report which generated a discussion about cameras for police vehicles. The Department is recommending the purchase of digital cameras because: ❖ The images are downloaded automatically into the mainframe via radio waves ❖ The Department would not have to store hundreds of tapes. ❖ The camera retrieves the previous four minutes of images when the emergency lights are activated. The retrieval of information from a disk is quicker than from video tapes. Lt. Merryman responded to questions, and advised that a number of police officers speak monthly on KDNA and weekly on KIT radio programs, along with other efforts to inform the public about various issues. He also reported on the frequency and popularity of the Citizen Academy that is offered to educate the public about the police department. FALK REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION IS CONSIDERED The Falk report was discussed, focusing on the Falk Committee's suggestion to gather data to profile the police officer's vehicle stops and citations. Chief Willson reported that the only data not collected now is the race of the driver. 147 SEPTEMBER 24, 2002 — ADJOURNED MEETING The merits of the recommendation to collect racial information on police stops were discussed. Pros: • The recommendation was made as an effort to combat the perception that racial profiling is happening. Several citizens and community organizations support the recommendation. Cons: ❖ State or federal law does not require this data collection. ❖ The Department may pay for a software program that may not be compatible with a program designed for the State if the State decides to require that this data be collected. ❖ What would we compare the data against? Each community in the state has a different population and socio- economic base. •:• How do we collect the data on race? We are not allowed to ask a person's race; we can't base it on the person's surname; and it is not indicated on the driver's license. • THE DRAFT PROPOSALS ARE DISCUSSED Lt. Merryman outlined the differences between Proposal 2 and 3. The goals in Proposal 2 are more detailed and more measurable. In proposal 2, the goals are: • To reduce the incidence of traffic violations on City streets. ❖ To enhance public awareness and education to the Spanish speaking public. • To provide alternative means to mediate defective equipment on vehicles driven on City streets. ❖ To increase citizen attendance at Yakima Police Department Citizens Academy classes. • To work with Department training management to assist with locating trainers for cultural awareness and sensitivity training for Department personnel. • To provide committee members to attend various public forums /events to assist with educating the public with regard to Department policy and procedure. ❖ To work on legislative efforts with Police Department and City representatives to support legislation on the issue of statewide data collection for law enforcement agencies. Council discussed these goals and whether they are measurable. Staff addressed the goal to educate the Spanish- speaking public about what is required to drive legally in this state and about the perception of officers stopping drivers for defective equipment. Lt. Merryman reported that with 15,000 citations, only 140 were for defective equipment. Council Member Puccinelli suggested that a business could sponsor a safety -check weekend, sell the equipment, and train people how to change a defective light, etc. In response to a question by the Mayor, Lt. Merryman replied that the Department does not keep track of warning citations issued by name or the reason for the warning. He further commented that most citizens would not want them to keep track of this information. 2 148 SEPTEMBER 24, 2002 — ADJOURNED MEETING Following further discussion about the proposals, City Manager Zais offered a revision to the last goal, "To help support City of Yakima legislative priorities and work with the Police Department and City representatives to enact legislation establishing statewide data collection uniformity for law enforcement agencies ". Council members indicated a preference for Proposal No. 2 and concurred that the goals in the proposal may be amended in the future. • CITIZEN COMMENTS Hector Franco, 815 North 28th Avenue, spoke strongly in favor of racial documentation as a means to deter or document police abuse. He commented on the lack of faith the community holds that the City will act in the best interest of the community. He stated they would hold forums in Yakima and document police abuse and work with legislators to require the collection of racial data. Daniel Enriques, 6 North 11 Avenue, commented that racial profiling exists and suggested that the Police Department hire someone from El Paso or Los Angeles to conduct the training on cultural awareness. He referenced the large percentage of Hispanics found in the courtrooms as evidence of racial discrimination, as high as 75 -80 percent. Council Member Puccinelli countered that statistic, stating that when he was at Municipal Court, he saw about 37% Hispanic and 63% non- Hispanic waiting in the courtroom. He further stated that a large portion of the Hispanic population sitting in the audience brought family members with them. Mr. Enriques responded that he was getting his statistics by looking at the court calendar. He added that when the police stop Hispanics, they don't get warnings; they are told to get out of the vehicle and then the police look closely at the vehicle. Juan Orasco, 317 N. Harding, Wapato, commented that there are some mean- spirited police officers who try to intimidate the citizen they pulled over; once you are pulled over, you are at their mercy. When you live in that environment, it is a whole different world. Luz Gutierrez, 1424 South 31 Avenue, remarked that there has been police harassment in the past and racial profiling; she experienced it when she first came into town. She spoke in favor of the Committee's recommendation as being a positive first step. She stated that in order to have measurable goals, you have to include numbers, i.e. increase attendance at the Citizens Academy classes by holding three Spanish sessions; bi- lingual classes do not work. She also stated that she could put the Police Department in touch with trainers for cultural awareness and sensitivity training. In closing, she commented that the issue should be how do we go forward to address the issue of perception. Al Marquez, 613 North 3rd Street, stated that his experience indicates that there are a lot more Hispanics before the judge than these statistics reflect. He stated we all need to have a change of attitude so we can work and live together. 3 149 SEPTEMBER 24, 2002 — ADJOURNED MEETING Carole Folsom -Hill, 15 South 6 Street, Director of La Casa Hogar, stated this organization serves low- income people and Hispanic women and children. Several of their clients have participated in the Department's Academy and have brought back positive feedback to her. She said she is not in favor of the racial data collection. She advised Council about their drivers education program ' through the permit level, and stated that if the City would become a partner in requesting funds for that program, it could broaden the burden for financing it. • COUNCIL DECISION City Manager Zais stated that if it were Council's desire to support Proposal 2, then staff would bring that back for consideration in a resolution format. The composition of the committee membership would also be outlined in the resolution. 3. ADJOURNMENT • GEORGE MOVED AND SIMS SECONDED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 9:48 A.M. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote; Buchanan and Mattson absent. • // READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE B C• CIL MEMB Ft DATE 4J COUNCIL MEMBER DATE • ATTEST: . 6 it-e,v•-• CITY CLERK ,y RY PLACE, MAYOR Minutes prepared by Karen Roberts. An audio and video tape of this meeting are available in the City Clerk's Office 4