DATE: May 18, 2021
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Manager
SUBJECT
Update on Community Public Safety Workshops and Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing Funding for the Public Safety Workshop Projects Recommended for Immediate Implementation
RECOMMENDATION
That Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing funding for the Public Safety Policy Innovation Workshop projects recommended for immediate implementation.
SUMMARY
In response to community concerns around policing and public safety following the murder of George Floyd by an officer of the Minneapolis Police Department, Council directed staff to conduct community engagement efforts, including community conversations and a community survey about public safety and policing in Hayward. After receiving the results of the community engagement work, Council directed staff to convene a Public Safety Policy Innovation Workshop inclusive of community members and City staff to recommend public safety policy and programmatic changes for Fiscal Year 2022.
This report and its attachments detail the work completed by the workshop participants and their recommendations for addressing four key problems community members identified from the community engagement work:
1. There is a lack of trust between the community and government, including City Hall and Hayward Police Department (HPD), stemming from a lack of communication and relationship building and an inadequate recognition of the long-term negative impacts of systemic racism.
2. Systemic health inequities for the Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) community, inadequate cultural responsiveness, and a lack of resources have led to limited and/or uncoordinated response options for mental health crises.
3. There are inadequate shelter and outreach resources to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness. In addition, the current outreach model and resource options are not meeting everyone's needs, and some people decline services. These challenges are especially burdensome for people that have experienced systemic inequities and other long-term traumas, particularly BIPOC communities.
4. There are limited public resources and a possible misalignment between resource allocation and community safety needs, including inadequate transparency and focus on the long-term negative impacts of systemic racism.
This February through April, over a period of ten weeks, participants have dedicated over 2,000 collective hours to interviewing key stakeholders, refining their understanding of the problems, and developing and prioritizing the solutions listed in this staff report and detailed in Attachment III. Staff compiled participants’ recommendations and provided additional analysis of cost, responsiveness to community input, racial equity, staffing, and intersections with existing City plans and projects. Staff is recommending that the Council adopt a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing funding for and directing staff to implement the projects identified for immediate implementation as outlined in Attachment IV.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment I Staff Report
Attachment II Resolution
Attachment III Public Safety Innovation Workshop Project Sheets
Attachment IV Implementation Plan for Projects Recommended for Immediate Funding
Attachment V Public Safety Innovation Workshop Findings and Recommendations
Attachment VI Themes from Community Feedback