December 9, 2020

PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE

DATE: December 9, 2020

CALLED TO ORDER: 5:31 p.m.

ADJOURNED: 6:08 p.m.

ATTENDANCE

Attending Members Absent Members Leroy Robinson, Chair Paul Annee John Barth Dan Boots Michael Dilk Ethan Evans Jared Evans Keith Graves Frank Mascari Brian Mowery William Oliver

PROPOSAL NO. 361, 2020 - amends Chapter 202, Article VIII of the Code regarding the citizens' police complaint board “Do Pass” Vote: 13-0

PROPOSAL NO. 263, 2020 - urges the City of Indianapolis and Marion County to hold a moratorium on the construction of any new jails or similar structures after the completion of the Criminal Justice Campus and resolves that portions of funding from the Consolidated City of Indianapolis be used for mental healthcare, fighting homelessness, economic development without displacement, substance addiction recovery, education initiatives, healthy food access and youth programming “Do Pass as Amended” Vote: 9-4

PROPOSAL NO. 355, 2020 - calls on City government, through the Department of Public Works, to paint a message condemning anti-police sentiment on Shelby Street, at an appropriate location between its intersection with Cottage Avenue and its intersection with Olive Street “Withdrawn”

PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE

The Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee of the City-County Council met on Wednesday, December 9, 2020. Chair Leroy Robinson called the meeting to order at 5:31 p.m. with the following members present: Paul Annee, Josh Bain, John Barth, Dan Boots, Crista Carlino, Michael Dilk, Ethan Evans, Jared Evans, Keith Graves, Frank Mascari, Brian Mowery and William Oliver. General Counsel, Toae Kim represented Council staff.

PROPOSAL NO. 361, 2020 - amends Chapter 202, Article VIII of the Code regarding the citizens' police complaint board

Ms. Kim stated that Proposal 361 amends that Code that the chief may approve an alternative training requirement for voting members at his or her discretion when situations arise. Ms. Kim said that the need for this would occur in types of emergencies like a pandemic.

Councillor Annee said that there was a report regarding training discrepancies and non-pandemic training issues, and asked if a representative from the citizen’s police complaint board (CPCB) could address this change. Duane Ingram, President, CPCB, stated that in previous years they have had the same requirements for training and earlier this year, some information was reported inaccurate regarding their training hours and that report has been since updated. He said that they are on track with continuing training. Councillor Annee asked with the updated information, the past years, subtracting this year, the members of the CPCB have kept their quota for training and if not, why was that the case. Councillor Annee asked how will this change in the Code provide that not happen again. Mr. Ingram stated that with regards to training, he is also a board member and can only speak to the training that he receives. He said that this ordinance change, as spoken in the introduction, in the case of an extreme situation like a pandemic where it is not allowed for board members to attend training, the Chief of Police will have the discretion to waive or adjust that requirement. He said that during this pandemic, IMPD suspended their classes, which the board’s training is conducted through, and they are in an extreme situation where the board members could not get their training hours in for the year. This is an accommodation for them to allow them to proceed with their work. Chief Taylor stated that IMPD was able to give the CPCB members their version of e-learning which will allow them to receive the training hours needed and should have everything updated soon.

Councillor Mowery asked for Chief Taylor to expound on the e-learning training. Chief Taylor said that there are more in-depth classes that require those to read and take tests at the end.

Councillor Oliver asked who has oversight over the CPCB training. Mr. Ingram said that the Public Safety Committee has oversight of the board. He said that some operational things are conducted through the citizen’s police complaint office, where their training hours and records are maintained. He said that given the turnover of the board in the past couple of years, there are some changes coming down the pipeline to the office to strengthen that process.

Councillor Barth moved, seconded by Councillor Boots to send Proposal No. 361, 2020 to the full Council with a “Do Pass” recommendation. The motion carried by a vote of 13-0.

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PROPOSAL NO. 263, 2020 – urges the City of Indianapolis and Marion County to hold a moratorium on the construction of any new jails or similar structures after the completion of the Criminal Justice Campus and resolves that portions of funding from the Consolidated City of Indianapolis be used for mental healthcare, fighting homelessness, economic development without displacement, substance addiction recovery, education initiatives, healthy food access and youth programming

Councillor E. Evans moved, seconded by Councillor Oliver to “amend” Proposal No. 263, 2020.

MOTION TO AMEND Proposal No. 263, 2020

Mr. President,

I move to amend Proposal No. 263, 2020 by deleting the introduced version in its entirety, and substituting the language below, to read as follows:

______Councillor

SPONSORS: Councilors Evans, Graves, McCormick, Boots, Jackson

DIGEST: urges the City of Indianapolis and Marion County to hold a moratorium on the construction of any new jails or similar structures for at least 40 years after the completion of the Criminal Justice Campus

CITY-COUNTY SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO. , 2020

A SPECIAL RESOLUTION urging the City of Indianapolis and Marion County to hold a moratorium on the construction of any new jails or similar structures for at least 40 years after the completion of the Criminal Justice Campus.

WHEREAS, studies and commissions, including the 1967-68 Kerner Commission and the Marion County Re- entry Study Commission, have already shown that states and cities can mitigate negative effects of incarceration and create positive outcomes by eliminating discrimination and poverty, and focusing on rehabilitation and not punishment; and

WHEREAS, the social determinants of health, defined as the social and material factors that influence health, including employment, housing, education, health care, public safety, and food access, are known to impact life-long health outcomes beginning even before birth; and

WHEREAS, by acknowledging many of the substantial root causes of entering the criminal justice system, which are poverty, systemic racism, homelessness, lack of quality mental healthcare, substance abuse, lack of education and other resources, we can focus on crime prevention and decrease the jail population without recidivism; and

WHEREAS, by making this pledge, we push ourselves to fight for a future where the quality of life consistently improves and crime is reduced in Indianapolis, and

WHEREAS, the City-County Council of Indianapolis resolves to shift away from incarceration and punitive punishment and more towards rehabilitation and re-entry, with a goal of creating a more just, free, equitable and prosperous Indianapolis for all; now, therefore:

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY-COUNTY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND OF MARION COUNTY, INDIANA:

SECTION 1. The Indianapolis City-County Council urges the Consolidated City of Indianapolis to hold a moratorium on the construction of any new jails for at least 40 years after the Criminal Justice Campus has been built.

SECTION 2. This resolution shall be in full force and effect upon adoption and compliance with IC 36-3-4-14.

Councillor E. Evans’ motion to amend carried by a vote of 13-0.

Concillor E. Evans wanted to thank his fellow Councillors and those that he has spoken with for their discussion and comments of this proposal. He said that he wanted this to be a statement that the City could make saying that this is the City’s vision.

Councillors Boots and Carlino stated that they are in support of the proposal and asked that their colleagues support as well.

Councillor Annee thanked Councillor E. Evans for his hard work on this proposal, but he will not be supporting the proposal because they do not know what will happen in the next 40 years and just want to be cautious.

Chair Robinson called for public testimony.

The following persons submitted comments via the Council’s web portal in support of the proposal:

Alexandra Stanarevic; Marysa Pike; Bridget; Jayelynn Brewster; Chloe Meredith; Tori Hunt; and Tylyn Johnson.

{Clerk’s Note: those that submitted comments via the portal are attached to the minutes and on file in the Council office.}

Chair Robinson asked Sheriff Forestal to give some brief comments regarding the proposal. Sheriff Forestal stated that he appreciates Councillor E. Evans and his cooperative spirit on the proposal. He said that by not supporting 40 years, does not say that he wants another jail built in 10 years. Sheriff Forestal said that he does not like the mental health portion of their jail population housed in the jail.

Councillor E. Evans moved, seconded by Councillor Carlino, to send Proposal No. 263, 2020, to the full Council with a “Do Pass as Amended” recommendation. The motion carried by a vote of 9-4, with Councillors Annee, Bain, Dilk and Mowery casting the negative votes.

Chair Robinson stated that the sponsors of this proposal withdrew their sponsorship and this proposal will not be heard in the committee meeting.

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With no further business pending, and upon motion duly made, the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee of the City-County Council was adjourned at 6:08 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Leroy Robinson, Chair Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee

LR/lw