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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2021-02-25 minutes 1 Public Safety Committee Meeting Call to Order The February 24, 2020, Public Safety Committee meeting convened virtually at 7:32 a.m. by Councilman Graham. Attendance Present: Committee Members: Councilman Graham, Councilwoman Ward, Councilman Vogt, Councilman Schreiber and Councilman Hussey. Guests: Mayor Carrie Tergin, Councilman Mike Lester, City Administrator Steve Crowell, City Attorney Ryan Moehlman, Fire Chief Matt Schofield, Police Chief Roger Schroeder, Police Captain Eric Wilde, Planning and Protective Services Planner Ahnna Nanoski, Jan Schumacher, Susan Randolph, NAACP President Rod Chapel and Sue Gibson. Approval of Minutes Councilman Hussey made a motion to approve the minutes of the November 17, 2020 meeting. Councilman Schreiber seconded the motion. Minutes were approved. Discussion of Agenda Items OLD BUSINESS None NEW BUSINESS Jefferson City Comprehensive Plan Planner Ahnna Nanoski with the City's Department of Planning and Protective Services gave a Power Point presentation of the Jefferson City Comprehensive Plan to the Committee. She encouraged the Committee members to review the full plan on the City's website. Police Department Radios Chief Schroeder stated radios are the lifeline of the officers and the commu nity, and are top of the department's needs priority list. The current portable radios do not have full interoperability capabilities, which would allow officers to connect with other public safety agencies that operate with the Missouri Statewide Interoperability Network (MOSWIN). The objective is for each of the department's 90 officers to have their own portable radio with MOSWIN capabilities. The department is in the process of acquiring 44 radios, with the plan to purchase the remaining 46 radios from Sales Tax H. Each radio costs approximately $4,800. Chief Schroeder advised Captain Wilde, who was introduced, was delegated the task of researching portable radios for purchase. 2 Councilman Graham asked about the purchase of in-car radios. Chief Schroeder advised in-car radios were the second phase of radio replacement. However, the portable radios are most important because the officers can communicate from outside of their patrol cars. The request for funds for in-car radios would be submitted in Sales Tax H. Fire Department Radios Chief Schofield advised the Fire Department has portable radios, mobile radios in the vehicles, and a radio system that includes 13 voter receiver sites around Jefferson City. The goal is to acquire radios from the same famil y of radios (APX 8000 series) used by the Police Department. The Fire Department is awaiting delivery of 22 APX 8000HE portable radios with sales tax money, and needs to purchase 13 more to enable each firefighter to have their own radio. The additional 13 radios will cost approximately $85,000. The radios purchased have a high-heat and water resistant and therefore the cost is higher. They are purchased on State of Missouri bid contract to keep costs down. These radios will enable the sharing of accessories and also the potential to share programming and maintenance which would result in savings and efficiencies. In answer to Councilman Graham's question regarding life expectancy of the radios, Chief Schofield stated the life expectancy is determined by use. However, with each firefighter having their own radio, he estimates them to have a longer life expectancy of approximately 10 years. Officer-Involved Shooting Chief Schroeder stated that many times officer-involved shootings end in litigation, sometimes several years from the event so he would limit the details. He gave a brief description of the incident. The Missouri Highway Patrol investigated the shooting and forwarded their findings to the Cole County Prosecutor's Office. The Prosecutor found no fault with the officers' actions and brought no charges. The officers were reinstated to duty approximately three and one-half weeks after the shooting. The Police Department conducted their own internal civil investigation and found no wrongdoing on the part of the officers. Police Department Body Cameras Chief Schroeder advised Captain Wilde was tasked with researching body cameras. This has been a prominent subject for several years, but the cost has been prohibitive. The cost of body cameras for the department would be approximately $400,000, most of which is for storage and maintenance. It is Chief Schroeder's plan to acquire cameras incrementally, and advised he would look to Sales Tax H for the purchase of body cameras, in -car cameras and interview room cameras to integrate all three systems at one time. Captain Wilde advised that integrating the camera systems would save money on maintenance fees. There are many options, including on-premises storage and cloud storage, and he is looking for one that would provide the best service for the money. Councilman Hussey stated he appreciated the department's support for body cameras, and asked what the time frame for implementation would be if the purchase was funded. Captain Wilde advised there would be an RFP process, bid process, then the purchase and implementation. He estimated it would take at least six to seven months to complete the process. 3 Chief Schroeder stated privacy laws concerning the body cameras are an issue. He has been looking toward case law for guidance and that has not happened. There is an issue of protecting the privacy of citizens that has not been clarified by the courts. Chief Schroeder emphasized the amount to purchase body cameras, in-car cameras and interview room cameras as an integrated system is approximately $1.2 million. Purchasing the three-prong camera system is the most effective use of resources. Councilman Graham opened up the meeting to questions from the public. Susan Randolph asked if funds between $400,000 and $1.2 million were made available, how would the Police Department proceed. Chief Schroeder advised that would be the decision of the City Council. Councilman Hussey stated the $1.2 million would be staggered over years in Sales Tax H. It would be a long-term commitment of funding approved by the City Council. Sue Gibson stated in regard to the officer-involved shooting, when faced with the armed suspect the officers could have retreated to their vehicles. She would feel better if the officers wore body cameras. She asked for no response and none was given. Rod Chapel, President of the local chapter of the NAACP, stated he feels body cameras are necessary for the protection of officers and to maintain trust within the community. In terms of ligation, the longer the City waits to purchase body cameras, the more they are putting public funds at jeopardy. Councilman Graham stated transparency is important, and he is supportive of body cameras. Officer compensation is also a major concern. The department is losi ng veteran officers to other agencies with higher pay. This erodes the trust within the community. Both issues need to be addressed and will be discussed at the March 1 City Council meeting. OTHER BUSINESS Fire Department Update Chief Schofield advised there have been four retirements within the Fire Department since September 2020. Three of those vacancies have been filled with pre-certified firefighters. They are expected to finish their on-the-job training in March. Personnel have dealt with many cold weather related calls. They have been involved in ice rescue training, monitoring the local ice jam, incident command and Hazardous Materials training. Police Department Updates Chief Schroeder advised during the advent of cold weather and snow, some activities decrease while others increase, leaving the volume of calls relatively the same. The department's biggest issue is with staffing. Several officers have been injured, several have retired and others have resigned. The department continues to recruit, but the interest in the profession has decreased in the last five years, consistent with what is occurring on the national level. 4 Councilman Graham thanked the members of both the Police and Fire Departments for their efforts in keeping the public safe. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, March 25th. The goal is to hold an in-person meeting in the Police Department's training room. Adjourn Councilman Hussey made a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Ward. The meeting was adjourned by Councilman Graham at 8:41 a.m.