I along with my council colleagues received many communications on both sides of the resolution issue; those strongly supporting us for the 19:1 vote and those strongly against us for the 19:1 vote. It is unfortunate that the 19:1 vote by council supporting the resolution for an independent study of our police department was viewed as non supportive of the police department and thus a referendum against Police Chief Koval and against the police department as a whole. This negative trust/distrust factor/perception is unhealthy for our community and divisive to the type of community we want Madison to be not just now but 20 years into its future. The mission of the police department is to serve and protect all citizens who reside in our city and who call Madison their home regardless of what their preferred racial, ethnic, national, or gender classification may be.
The majority of council collaboratively felt that an independent and transparent review of the policies, practices and procedures of our police force, especially around use of deadly force training practices is important. It is also important that this study be conducted by an outside, independent and non/biased evaluator and that such a transparent and in depth evaluation cannot nor should be performed internally. The ad hoc committee was formed to provide recommendations to council on how our police department was meeting their own standards of excellence as well as meeting public expectations and standards and identifying areas that warranted improvement or change.
The committee, was a highly diverse volunteer citizenry, including a stellar career retired police officer, current police officer, community leaders and representatives from the non-profit sector, and city staff. They completed their charge, after having met diligently over a 6-9 month period and presented their findings and recommendations to council. Council supported and accepted those recommendations from the ad hoc committee. Again, we voted to support the findings and recommendations of the ad hoc committee we commissioned; their findings: an independent study of the policy, practices and procedures of the police department was warranted and appropriate funding for the study be appropriated. We allocate a large percentage of our city budget toward public safety and supporting our police department.
I attended the recent graduation of 21 new officers on Friday. These officers wore black ribbons around their badges in solidarity for their fellow comrades killed in Dallas. We all joined to mourn such a tragic loss. We engaged in a city-wide prayer for the week's events of two officer involved shootings and the deaths of the five police officers in Dallas. We prayed for our own city, where once again we are struggling with an officer involved shooting in our community. The 5 officers killed in Dallas were doing exactly what they were trained and expected to do, serve and protect the citizens of that community. There is no lack of respect for our Madison police department. There are officers every day who go above and beyond duty AND who put their lives on the line to serve and to protect all citizens. But we also must be willing to look at the policies and procedures that govern how officers are trained to interact with the citizens they are commissioned to serve and protect.
The Chief himself has expressed that there is always need for improvement as we grow as a more diverse city, that the department is continually proactively implementing good 20th Century Community Policing practices. Please read the Chief's recent blog. Because the council supported having an independent, unbiased outside agent take a critical look at our department's policy, practices and procedures does not mean that there is a lack of support for our police department. Captain Koval said in his presentation at the police graduation that he was handing over these 21 new officers charged to take care of us and to keep our community safe. Events over the past few weeks; months related to gun violence and the use of deadly force has again shaken the very foundation of how we should value all human life. Captain Koval, in his closing remarks at graduation, asked the community to help keep those 21 officers, with family as well, safe.
So when the divisiveness of them vs us is fueled, this negative trust/distrust factor/perception is unhealthy for all of us who live in Madison and call Madison their home. The council strongly believed that supporting the resolution was an investment that will move our city policing towards the type of community that we want Madison to be not just now but 20 years into its future.
Barbara Harrington- McKinney
Alder, District 1
Madison Common Council
The majority of council collaboratively felt that an independent and transparent review of the policies, practices and procedures of our police force, especially around use of deadly force training practices is important. It is also important that this study be conducted by an outside, independent and non/biased evaluator and that such a transparent and in depth evaluation cannot nor should be performed internally. The ad hoc committee was formed to provide recommendations to council on how our police department was meeting their own standards of excellence as well as meeting public expectations and standards and identifying areas that warranted improvement or change.
The committee, was a highly diverse volunteer citizenry, including a stellar career retired police officer, current police officer, community leaders and representatives from the non-profit sector, and city staff. They completed their charge, after having met diligently over a 6-9 month period and presented their findings and recommendations to council. Council supported and accepted those recommendations from the ad hoc committee. Again, we voted to support the findings and recommendations of the ad hoc committee we commissioned; their findings: an independent study of the policy, practices and procedures of the police department was warranted and appropriate funding for the study be appropriated. We allocate a large percentage of our city budget toward public safety and supporting our police department.
I attended the recent graduation of 21 new officers on Friday. These officers wore black ribbons around their badges in solidarity for their fellow comrades killed in Dallas. We all joined to mourn such a tragic loss. We engaged in a city-wide prayer for the week's events of two officer involved shootings and the deaths of the five police officers in Dallas. We prayed for our own city, where once again we are struggling with an officer involved shooting in our community. The 5 officers killed in Dallas were doing exactly what they were trained and expected to do, serve and protect the citizens of that community. There is no lack of respect for our Madison police department. There are officers every day who go above and beyond duty AND who put their lives on the line to serve and to protect all citizens. But we also must be willing to look at the policies and procedures that govern how officers are trained to interact with the citizens they are commissioned to serve and protect.
The Chief himself has expressed that there is always need for improvement as we grow as a more diverse city, that the department is continually proactively implementing good 20th Century Community Policing practices. Please read the Chief's recent blog. Because the council supported having an independent, unbiased outside agent take a critical look at our department's policy, practices and procedures does not mean that there is a lack of support for our police department. Captain Koval said in his presentation at the police graduation that he was handing over these 21 new officers charged to take care of us and to keep our community safe. Events over the past few weeks; months related to gun violence and the use of deadly force has again shaken the very foundation of how we should value all human life. Captain Koval, in his closing remarks at graduation, asked the community to help keep those 21 officers, with family as well, safe.
So when the divisiveness of them vs us is fueled, this negative trust/distrust factor/perception is unhealthy for all of us who live in Madison and call Madison their home. The council strongly believed that supporting the resolution was an investment that will move our city policing towards the type of community that we want Madison to be not just now but 20 years into its future.
Barbara Harrington- McKinney
Alder, District 1
Madison Common Council
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