Title
Calling upon the Task Force on 21st Century Policing created by President Barack Obama to examine, in its report on promoting effective crime reduction, the importance of community policing, race relations and diversity training in policing practices as well as a review of racial disparities in the Criminal Justice System.
Body
WHEREAS, In light of the two recent grand jury decisions to not indict two police officers involved in the deaths of two unarmed African-American men in Ferguson, MO and Staten Island, NY, community policing, race relations and diversity training are especially important in communities across the country; and
WHEREAS, Community policing involves working cooperatively with individual citizens, groups of citizens and both public and private organizations to identify and resolve issues that could potentially affect the livability of specific neighborhoods, areas or the City as a whole; and
WHEREAS, Officers should be required to spend considerable time and effort in developing and maintaining personal relationships with citizens, businesses, schools and community organizations as part of the importance of community policing; and
WHEREAS, Camden County, New Jersey enacted a form of community policing and as a result, shootings went down 43 percent and violent crimes went down 22 percent in a two year period; and
WHEREAS, Diversity training is important in Minority communities where residents are more likely to express dissatisfaction with various aspects of policing; and
WHEREAS, It is an accepted tenet that when police departments fully understand communities they serve, communities have an easier time building trust and defusing, rather than escalating tense situations; and
WHEREAS, Black men have a one-in-three chance of being incarcerated at one point in their lives and receive sentences 20 percent longer than their White counterparts; and
WHEREAS, The issue of the disparate treatment of minorities goes beyond policing and permeates into the criminal justice system; and
WHEREAS, It is important that communities and police work together to ensure justice for all and to promote peaceful neighborhoods; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby calls upon the Task Force on 21st Century Policing created by President Barack Obama to examine, in its report on promoting effective crime reduction, the importance of community policing, race relations, and diversity training in policing practices as well as a review of racial disparities in the Criminal Justice System.
End