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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 14194 City of Palo Alto (ID # 14194) City Council Staff Report Meeting Date: 5/2/2022 Report Type: Consent Calendar City of Palo Alto Page 1 Title: Policy and Services Committee recommends that the City Council accept the recommendations from the September 14, 2021 and February 8, 2022 committee meetings regarding race and equity, with the following change: schedule a City Council Action Item (May 9, 2022) on whether to pursue a misdemeanor ordinance and other methods to deter hateful speech while complying with the constitution From: City Manager Lead Department: City Manager Recommendation Policy and Services Committee recommends that the City Council accept the recommendations from the September 14, 2021 and February 8, 2022 committee meetings regarding race and equity, with the following change: schedule a City Council Action Item (currently scheduled for May 9, 2022) on whether to pursue a local misdemeanor ordinance and other methods to deter hateful speech while complying with the constitution. Background The Policy and Services Committee received quarterly race and equity updates in September 2021 and February 2022. At both meetings, the Committee pushed forward unanimous recommendations to the City Council related to a variety of topics. Staff expressed to the Committee that, though unanimously approved, the Committee’s proposal to pursue a local hate crimes ordinance would have to go to the City Council for discussion given its impact. That item is scheduled for City Council discussion and action on May 9, 2022. The rest of the items recommended by Policy and Services are listed in this Consent Agenda staff report. Some items are already completed or in progress and those items are noted below. At the September 14, 2021 Policy and Services Committee meeting the Committee took the following action based on discussion of CMR #13568/Minutes: To recommend the City Council to discuss the following 5 areas of consideration; support the HRC work regarding the 100 conversations [completed], enable the HRC to further develop the idea of a misdemeanor ordinance and other method to deter hateful speech while complying with the constitution [scheduled for May 2022 City Council]; and continue the City of Palo Alto Page 2 City’s Race and Equity Work: A. Should the notes from the Summit breakout sessions and Jamboard of Summit participants on affordable housing and the ways that it specifically affects women be referred to the City’s Housing Element Working Group for consideration? [completed] B. Should the City Council initiate additional work on an ordinance addressing topics related to the United Nation’s CEDAW initiative? [in progress] C. Should the City conduct a review of the City’s Recreation Division in collaboration with the Park & Recreation Commission in order to better understand programs and services equity? [in progress] D. Should the City share the findings regarding youth with the City’s Teen Advisory Council for consideration of further action including training on microaggressions and youth mentorship programs? [completed] E. Should the City host an annual convening through the Office of Human Services to work to address issues related to greater opportunity and equity for women and girls? The City Council met with the Human Relations Commission (HRC) on January 24, 2022 CMR #13841 in a Study Session to hear and discuss the 100 Community Conversations. At the February 8, 2022 Policy and Services Committee meeting the Committee took the following action based on discussion of CMR #13997/Minutes: To recommend the City Council: A. Request the Human Relations Commission to research the lived experience of Asian American and Pacific Islanders and suggest related workplan items as desired; B. Request the Police Department to provide hate crime data over time by race; [data below; completed] C. Recommend that Council Members commit to complete Microaggression training by June 2022; and D. Request the City Manager and Mayor schedule a study session to discuss police radio encryption, and how best to allow the public and the media to be rapidly informed for calls to service [completed]. Discussion As noted above, there has been progress on many of the items from the Policy and Services Committee September 2021 and February 2022 meeting discussions. The information below summarizes the items completed, in progress, and items not yet implemented. Each item references which meeting the recommendations come from. The completed items include the following: - Support for the HRC’s 100 Community Conversations: the City Council heard the report on January 24, 2022 (CMR #13841) and commended the HRC for the initiative taken to City of Palo Alto Page 3 convene conversations on this very important topic in the community. They encouraged the HRC to continue such efforts. (P&S Sept. 14 Recommendation) - Notes and findings from the Summit on Women and Girls were shared with the Housing Element Working Group staff as well as with the City’s Youth Advisory Commission staff liaison. (P&S Sept. 14 Recommendation) - Sharing hate crime data. This data represents 3 years of data and is included in Attachment A to this report. Since 2021, the Police Department included a designation in the computer aided dispatch (CAD) system that makes it easier going forward to run a hate crime data report. (P&S Sept. 14 Recommendation). *Note, the data in Attachment A does not include hate incident information. - Hold a City Council Study Session on police radio encryption: The City Manager scheduled an action item for the City Council on April 4, 2022 of the Police Department’s annual report which also included extensive information about police radio encryption. The City Council voted at that meeting to develop programs to pursue near real time streaming of Calls for Services and to narrow location of the calls. Registration will be required to access the platform. Staff shall confer with labor on implementation of this direction; Support Senator Becker’s proposed SB-1000; Increase communications between PAPD senior staff and the media, as staffing permits; and to refer to Policy and Services Committee the review and discussion of Use of Force (UOF) reports to evaluate current policies and effectiveness of the UOF reports and recommend modifications if necessary. (P&S Feb. 8 Recommendation) The following items have been started and are in progress: - Initiation of additional work on an ordinance addressing topics related to the United Nation’s CEDAW initiative. Staff is drafting an ordinance for City Council review and discussion. (P&S Sept. 14 Recommendation) - The HRC discussed recent hate crimes at the March 10, 2022 meeting and passed a motion to support a recommendation to bring the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and community resources to Palo Alto to support community education on hate crimes. In addition, the HRC recommends the City Council support an increase in public awareness and marketing on how to report a hate crime and hate incidents. This recommendation will be included in the May 9, 2022 City Council discussion on hate crimes. (P&S Sept. 14 Recommendation) - Staff has begun a review of the City’s Recreation Division in order to better understand programs and services equity by gender. (P&S Sept. 14 Recommendation) The following items are not yet implemented: (Following City Council acceptance of this staff report, these items would be further developed by staff.) A. Alignment from the City Council for the City host an annual convening through the Office of Human Services to work to address issues related to greater opportunity and equity for women and girls (P&S Sept. 14 Recommendation) City of Palo Alto Page 4 B. Request the Human Relations Commission to research the lived experience of Asian American and Pacific Islanders and suggest related workplan items as desired. (P&S Feb. 8 Recommendation) C. Recommend that Council Members commit to complete Microaggression training by June 2022. (P&S Feb. 8 Recommendation). The trainings will be conducted by Circle Up Education. There will be three separate trainings scheduled that the City Council and Board/Commission/Committees (BCC) will be able to choose from to attend. The trainings will take place mostly in June 2022. D. Scheduled for May 9, 2022 as an Action item: whether to pursue a local misdemeanor ordinance and other methods to deter hateful speech while complying with the constitution. (P&S Sept. 14 Recommendation) Timeline, Resource Impact, Policy Implications Resource requirements for the topics and recommendations within this report vary. For the items implemented already, staff time has been expended on those. For the in progress and not yet completed items, further staff time will be required to work on and complete the items. The training is also an outside contract for less than $15,000 which will come from the race and equity support funds. Costs for hosting an annual convening on issues related to equity for women and girls would be incorporated into annual budget discussions. Stakeholder Engagement Community engagement is an integral part of Palo Alto’s race and equity work. Engaging the community at large to provide feedback for the City’s Race and Equity strategy has been a priority throughout this process as shown in the Race and Equity Framework. The City continues to engage the community through a series of Race and Equity conversations. Updates on the City’s efforts can be found on the City’s website at www.cityofpaloalto.org/raceandequity. Environmental Review This is not a project as defined by CEQA. Attachments: • Attachment A: Hate Crime Reports 2019-April 8 2022 Attachment A Hate Reports taken by PAPD Jan-Dec 2019 Case #Occur Date Protected Characteristics Description 190000849 02/14/2019 protected characteristic other than race (sexual orientation) & race/ethnicity: Black Criminal threats 190004689 08/17/2019 protected characteristic other than race (religion) Vandalize private property 190005557 10/25/2019 protected characteristic other than race (sexual orientation) & race/ethnicity: Hispanic Assault with a deadly weapon 190006636 12/23/2019 protected characteristic other than race (religion) Criminal Threats Hate Reports taken by PAPD Jan-Dec 2020 Case #Occur Date Protected Characteristics Description 200000106 01/05/2020 protected characterisitc other than race (religion) & race/ethnicity: Black Vandalize City property 200001552 04/14/2020 race/ethnicity: Black Criminal threats 200001890 05/15/2020 race/ethnicity: Black Brandish weapon 200002788 07/23/2020 race/ethnicity: Black Vandalize private property Hate Reports taken by PAPD Jan-Dec 2021 Case #Occur Date Protected Characteristics Description 210000212 01/22/2021 race/ethnicity: Middle Eastern Assault with a deadly weapopn 210000813 03/20/2021 race/ethnicity: Black Vandalize City property 210001344 05/07/2021 race/ethnicity: White Vandalize City property 210002077 07/07/2021 race/ethnicity: White Vandalize City property 210002480 08/07/2021 protected characteristic other than race (religion) Vandalize City property 210002963 09/15/2021 race/ethnicity: Black Vandalize City property 210003032 09/21/2021 race/ethnicity: White Vandalize City property 210003072 09/24/2021 race/ethnicity: Black Vandalize City property 210003267 10/10/2021 protected characteristic other than race (sexual orientation) Battery causing serious bodily injury Hate Reports taken by PAPD Jan-Mar 15 2022 Case #Occur Date Protected Characteristics Description 220000236 1/22/2022 race/ethnicity: Black Vandalize private property 220001053 4/5/2022 race/ethnicity: Black Vandalize private property 220001080 4/6 - 4/7/2022 protected characetristic other than race (nationality) Vandalize private property Hate Crime Data 2019 - April 2022 Note: Hate incident data not included within this report.