RCPRC October 8, 2020 Minutes

DRAFT

Rosendale Community Police Reform Committee

October 8, 2020

Meeting Minutes

1. Attendance.

• Terry Johnson – Volunteer Committee Member
• Jennifer Bliss – Volunteer Committee Member, Chair, dropped off at 5:52, joined back via phone at 6:02
• Ted Dixon – Volunteer Committee Member, Vice Chair
• Josh Baron – Volunteer Committee Member, Secretary
• Rich Wright – Volunteer Committee Member
• Marc Cassidy – Volunteer Committee Member,
• Chief Scott Schaffrick – Chief of Police, Rosendale Police Department
• Councilman Matt Igoe – Rosendale Town Council Member (non-voting member, Police Commission liaison)
• Councilwoman Carrie Wykoff – Rosendale Town Council Member (non-voting member, Town Council liaison) , left at 6:55 pm
• Jessieca McNabb (Volunteer Committee Member), left at 6:01

2. Sub-committee Progress reports – we will discuss in the following order: a. Jessieca, b. Jen (I may need to drop off the call early otherwise I’d have put myself last), c. Marc, d. Terry, e. Rich, f. Ted

Leads for each sub-committee developed progress reports based on their research and discussions with the Chief since the last meeting.  Reports were posted to the Committee Google Drive prior to the meeting for Committee members to review and comment on prior to the discussion. Leads took time to review key preliminary findings from their progress reports and answered questions and discussed issues brought forward by Committee members.

Several reports touched on the topic of training for RPD officers.  It was confirmed that 5 hours of implicit bias training is required each year by all officers as part of their training cycle.  There was also discussion of some of the budget and resource issues that are factors in officer training.

There was also discussion of data related to arrests, traffic stopics and general interactions between officers and the public.  The Chief is following up to determine what specific data, including race and demographics data, is collected and can be made available.

Reports noted a lot of positive aspects of the relationship that the Chief maintains with his officers and the training and health resources he works to make available to them.

We ran out of time to review the reports from Ted and Jen and thus will be working to schedule a follow up meeting early next week to complete the initial review.

3. Survey results and comments – initial thoughts / communications updates (Josh)

We did not have time to review the Survey Results or Comments and will do at our next full meeting.  Josh noted that we had received 303 responses to the survey and that he had closed it as the deadline had passed.

4. Any other business?

Josh asked about getting previously approved meeting minutes posted to the Town website.  Carrie said she would follow up with Josh to get them posted.

Ted expressed interest in holding face-to-face discussions with the public and will be working to plan for these at local fire houses.  The Committee noted the importance of having someone taking notes at these meetings.

5. Next meeting.

We will work to schedule our next meeting for Tuesday 10/13/2020 provided schedules allow.  Jen will follow up.

We adjourned at 7 pm.