1 To: Mayor Sylvester Turner and the City of Houston Task Force on Police Reform From: City Council Public Safety & Homel
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To: Mayor Sylvester Turner and The City of Houston Task Force on Police Reform From: City Council Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee Re: Recommendations related to policing and reform submitted by organizations, the public, and Council Members Date: July 15, 2020 The Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee has compiled the following memo that serves to capture many of the recommendations that Council, the public, and community organizations have put forth pertaining to criminal justice reform. The murder of George Floyd, a son of Houston, serves as a pivotal moment in our nation’s history. It is important to honor the fact that it is not just 8 minutes and 46 seconds, it is thousands upon thousands of minutes, of lives, that have been destroyed at the hands of institutionalized racism, discrimination, and oppression. Together we say unequivocally: Black Lives Matter. This memo includes recommendations from organizations, Council Members, and members of the public. Some of these proposals have already been implemented, including the “8 Can’t Wait” policies Mayor Turner codified in Executive Order 1-67 on June 10, 2020, or are in the process of being implemented. Others should be further reviewed by the Administration and Task Force. The following proposals deserve attention and discussion by the Task Force, along with HPD and the Administration.1 We therefore submit this memo to the aforementioned for their consideration and as a consolidated reference document as the Task Force continues its work. We would like to extend our appreciation to everyone who has engaged creatively and thoughtfully in the conversation and reimagination of what our criminal justice system can look like. We would also like to thank Mayor Turner for working closely with Council on these matters. HPD has not only been responsive to Council, they have shown a sincere desire to work with us, and we are grateful for their commitment and dedication to our City. This memo is the results of hours of organizational research, recommendations from the community, the voices of constituents expressed through public comment and open dialogue, and the hard work of 1 Some proposals will need to be taken up at the state level as they do not fall within the jurisdictional authority of the City of Houston. 1 Council staff in helping to put this together. I am deeply appreciative of every single person who shared their experience, expertise, story, and recommendations through this process. Most respectfully, Council Member Abbie Kamin Chair, Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee 2 Table of Contents I. Recommendations from Community Organizations & Various Policy Proposals ........................................... 4 Campaign Zero ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 Coalition Letter ....................................................................................................................................................... 12 Community Action Collective ................................................................................................................................. 14 Imams & Rabbis of Houston .................................................................................................................................. 15 Justice Can’t Wait: Independence Day Agenda for Houston Policing Report by: American Civil Liberties Union Of Texas, Black Lives Matter Houston, Community Justice Action Fund, Fiel Houston, Grassroots Leadership, Houston Justice, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Indivisible Houston, One Family One Future, Pure Justice, Right2justice Coalition, Texas Advocates For Justice, Texas Appleseed, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Fair Defense Project, Texas Organizing Project, Urban Community Network, Workers Defense Action Fund .............. 16 National Urban League .......................................................................................................................................... 41 The Justice Collaborative ....................................................................................................................................... 42 Texas Organizing Project ....................................................................................................................................... 44 Right2Justice Coalition ........................................................................................................................................... 47 8CantWait............................................................................................................................................................... 49 8toAbolition ............................................................................................................................................................ 49 II. Houston City Council Recommendations & Comments ............................................................................... 53 Council Member Alcorn .......................................................................................................................................... 53 Council Member Cisneros ....................................................................................................................................... 53 Council Member Gallegos ...................................................................................................................................... 55 Council Member Kamin .......................................................................................................................................... 56 Council Member Plummer...................................................................................................................................... 59 Council Member Thomas ....................................................................................................................................... 62 Joint Letter from Council Members: Davis, Evans-Shabazz, Thomas, Pollard, Castex-Tatum ............................. 63 III. Current Policies & Programs ....................................................................................................................... 66 IV. Newspaper Articles ..................................................................................................................................... 73 V. Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee Public Comment ................................................................ 74 VI. Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee Public Comment Written Submissions .............................. 77 3 I. Recommendations from Community Organizations & Various Policy Proposals Campaign Zero A decades-long focus on policing minor crimes and activities - a practice called Broken Windows policing has led to the criminalization and over-policing of communities of color and excessive force in otherwise harmless situations. In 2014, police killed at least 287 people who were involved in minor offenses and harmless activities like sleeping in parks, possessing drugs, looking "suspicious" or having a mental health crisis. These activities are often symptoms of underlying issues of drug addiction, homelessness, and mental illness which should be treated by healthcare professionals and social workers rather than the police. End Policing of Minor "Broken Windows" Offenses The following activities do not threaten public safety and are often used to police black bodies. Decriminalize these activities or de-prioritize their enforcement: Consumption of Alcohol on Streets, Marijuana Possession, Disorderly Conduct, Trespassing, Loitering, Disturbing the Peace (including Loud Music), Spitting, Jaywalking, Bicycling on the Sidewalk End Profiling and "Stop-and-Frisk" Establish enforceable protections against profiling to prevent police from intervening in civilian lives for no reason other than the "suspicion" of their blackness or other aspects of their identity. This should include: • immigration status, age, housing status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, disability, HIV status, race, religion and national origin as protected groups • the right for people to seek court orders to stop police departments from profiling • bans on both intentional profiling and practices that have a disparate impact on protected groups • ban stops for "furtive" movements such as a reaching for waistband or acting nervous • ban stops for being in a high-crime area • ban stops for matching a generalized description of a suspect (i.e. black male ages 15-25) • require officers to establish objective justification for making a stop and to report every stop including location, race, gender, whether force was used and whether a firearm was found. • end the use of predictive policing technology, which uses systematically biased data to enhance police profiling of black people and communities • prohibit police departments from using resources to investigate, interrogate, detain, detect, report, or arrest persons for immigration enforcement purposes. • prohibit police departments from transferring an individual to federal immigration authorities for purposes of immigration enforcement. • prohibit officers from being placed under the supervision of federal agencies or deputized as special federal officers or special federal deputies. Establish Alternative Approaches to Mental Health Crises Mental health crises should not be excuses for