CITY OF ALLENTOWN No. 86 RESOLUTION R - 2020 Introduced by City Council on July 15, 2020 Recommends Community Strategies for Police Oversight Review and Recommendations Resolved by the Council of the City of Allentown, That WHEREAS, Allentown City Council is committed to a dialogue that includes examining police operations, legislative and community oversight, requiring certain reporting requirements and establishing a policy on force; and WHEREAS, Allentown City Council supports along with the Human Relations Commission the Eight Can’t Wait recommendations from the Obama administration related to the use of police force; and WHEREAS, City Council will meet on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at 6:00 PM to begin to take public comment and work on recommendations for policing in Allentown; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of Allentown will foster a dialogue inclusive of but not limited to reviewing, discussing the following:  Mandating body cam use and imposing discipline up to and included termination for failing to use it;  Reporting to Council Public Safety Committee of any changes to the discipline and use of force policies;  Requiring Council approval to policy changes that would decrease adherence to 8 Can’t Wait policies;  Banning of no knock warrants;  Removing any exceptions for chokehold and neck restraints from the use of force policy;  Banning stop and frisk;  Requiring officer intervention to stop any excessive use of force and imposing discipline consequences including termination for not doing so;  Establishing a Citizens Review Board that reviews, among other things, cases where excessive force was used and cases where a weapon was discharged;  Requiring Bi-annual reports of use of force, discipline, positive interactions, policy changes and types of calls/responses that are disaggregated by race and gender to be given and discussed at Council’s Public Safety at a public meeting;  Requiring misuse of force situations immediately given to the attorney general (3rd party);  Suspending officers who are suspected of violating the use of force policy while the investigation is conducted, this should be automatic;  Requiring quarterly reporting to Council’s Public Safety Committee that identifies the nature of calls in Allentown, i.e. reason for call: mental health, domestic disturbance, violent crime, traffic accident, and an annual report. The report should be made public immediately following their release;  Making body camera footage available to the public and easily accessible with no delays in its release;  Mandating community meetings following use of force incidents to contend with the psychological ramifications and fear that emerges from the use of lethal use of force and force community concerns to be fielded and responded to; Be it also Resolved that the dialogue will be ongoing but with the goal that the initial public review of this matter will be completed within three months of passage of this resolution and will result in recommendations proposed by Council; Be It Also Resolved that City Council effectuate such recommendations through legislative action by resolution or ordinance, as appropriate, and by asking state and federal officials for legislation as appropriate. Be It Finally Resolved that the City begin to draft a plan of divestment of resources currently allocated to the police department to other areas or sectors of the city to more appropriately address such issues as mental health, drug & alcohol treatment, housing and social services, and the like.