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Durango Herald Questions on Durango Policing Policies

Activists have suggested defunding police departments and #8CantWait reforms. What are your thoughts? ( for example, feasibility, challenges, opportunities)

I believe a well-functioning police department that reflects, protects and promotes the values of the community is necessary to provide for the safety and well-being of all residents. We have addressed the specific issues raised in the #8CantWait reforms. Although budget constraints have resulted in cuts to social service and support programs nation-wide, here in Durango we continue to provide funding for our Community Support Services, including the Acute Treatment Unit, Youth Services, and the Detox Center. Funding for these services has remained relatively stable over the last five years. In 2020, city council responded to the requests of the community, and provided additional grant funding to our Human Services Block Grant Program, and provided additional funding, in partnership with the county, to address homelessness and the needs of our vulnerable populations. Council addresses allocations to various departments and social service programs annually and values community input as part of this process. Community members are invited to provide input via email or directly to council in the appropriate forum (dates and time for these meetings are posted).

What do you feel your role is right now, particularly considering national to local concern over police tactics and relations with racial minorities?

My role as a local elected official, now and always, is to justly and equitably serve the citizens of Durango. Given Durango’s diverse population, and the fact that social, economic, and racial inequalities are an indisputable reality, a significant part of my role as an elected councilor must be to listen, to seek greater understanding, and to address the issues of those citizens whose voices have often been unheard or even ignored. I am committed to initiating and supporting positive and impactful changes within our community, in order to make Durango a place where all can feel safe and benefit from policies that provide equal and just treatment of all citizens by all government entities, and throughout the greater Durango community.

What is your vision for how the city council should engage with its community? For example, what, if any, steps should local political officials be taking? What steps have you taken?

One of my jobs, and the job of city council as a whole, is to ensure that the police force represents and supports the values of our community. It is our responsibility to fully understand the specifics of local policing policies, to understand our community’s concerns about those policies and to represent citizens’ concerns in public settings. As a council, we must be committed to proper oversight – so that problems can be promptly noted and addressed and improvements made through council goals and policy setting, with alignment from the top down.
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It is council’s job to be available, present, and responsive to residents. We are currently taking steps to provide public forums and opportunities for engagement directly with our Chief of Police, Bob Brammer, in city council sessions as well as directly with our Community Relations Commission (CRC). The CRC was established by the City of Durango to promote social harmony, acceptance and respect for diversity and to discourage all forms of discrimination. Through these promptly presented public forums we can quickly gain a broader, community-wide understanding of local policies. They will provide opportunities for community dialogue, education and identification of opportunities for improvement to better represent the values of our community.

What have I not asked that you would like to talk about?

We have begun examining our established processes with regard to Personnel Complaints, how they are handled, who is informed, and who responds to them and how. It is important to note that this process provides for a Citizens Review Committee, consisting of five community members, to convene once a year to review all of our Citizen Generated complaints with the purpose of ensuring that the Personnel Complaints processes are thoroughly reviewed and fully addressed. Reports generated from the Citizens Review Committee are provided to the City Manager. I am committed to working for ongoing improvement in oversight and equitable regulation as we take a closer look at our city-sponsored institutions, to ensure that racial discrimination and injustice are not permitted in our community. I am committed to striving for fair and equitable treatment for all in the Durango community.

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