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#SomervilleMA CAPM Committee thread starts here. The entire meeting is devoted to the 9 appointees to the police reserve list, proposed by the Mayor.
This is a contentious issue. I'm starting my thread ahead of the actual meeting in order to add some context.
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This is a contentious issue. I'm starting my thread ahead of the actual meeting in order to add some context.
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The mayor claims 9 vacancies (soon 10) in SPD. 6 of those vacancies are positions that the City Council cut from the budget this summer. This was in response to intense public demands for less policing and more nonviolent community support programs.
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However, while CC cuts are to specific line items, the Administration is free to move budget around within departments. Instead of being gone, those 6 positions were reduced to 1 month instead of 1 year.
Therefore they shouldn't be hired until June. Its not June.
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Therefore they shouldn't be hired until June. Its not June.
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The Administration has found "lag funding" sufficient to hire them earlier. Also worth nothing, though, that this is a pre-hiring step that gets them into the academy and starts the pension clock for seniority.
The use of "reserve lists" is rare in MA (~20 cities use one).
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The use of "reserve lists" is rare in MA (~20 cities use one).
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While technically the individuals on the reserve list can be called upon for service by the Mayor or Chief of Police, it hasn't ever happened to my knowledge. It is used, however, to create a first-in-first-out queue for hiring police & fire personnel.
It been MISUSED, too
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It been MISUSED, too
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In 2018, City Council requested that the Administration stop using reserve lists. It led to lawsuits.
They use it, nonetheless.
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They use it, nonetheless.
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So here we are, evaluating 9 candidates for hire to the reserve list.
OR ARE WE?! (the meeting has started and things have already taken an interesting turn)
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OR ARE WE?! (the meeting has started and things have already taken an interesting turn)
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Chair Mary Jo Rossetti has decided that this meeting will be between the Committee and the Administration, to answer certain questions that the Councilors have.
The individuals will NOT be interviewed. Therefore there will NOT be a determination on their appointment tonight.
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The individuals will NOT be interviewed. Therefore there will NOT be a determination on their appointment tonight.
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As we get into this, please consider:
Every single one of these Councilors is trying to represent their constituents, balancing a very difficult and complex problem.
These are good people, deserving of our respect. Whether you agree with them or not.
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Every single one of these Councilors is trying to represent their constituents, balancing a very difficult and complex problem.
These are good people, deserving of our respect. Whether you agree with them or not.
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So we'll get right into then. Starting with Mary Jo's questions.
Let's get through this one together, if we can.
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Let's get through this one together, if we can.
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First question from Mary Jo. There was a memo requesting an increase to the number of vacancies (job postings, sorta) to 16.
The hiring process is very complicated for civil servants.
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The hiring process is very complicated for civil servants.
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There were 34 interested candidates before the memo to raise vacancies to 16. Which meets the hiring process requirement of having 2n + 1 candidates (State Law?)
This is all pre-appointment stuff. Not specific vacancies on the police force, just guidance on hiring pipeline.
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This is all pre-appointment stuff. Not specific vacancies on the police force, just guidance on hiring pipeline.
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Mary Jo asked, on the heels of this, about the current status for the hiring of the Director of Racial and Social Justice.
She might have been hinting at a point. Intent unclear. The Director of RSJ was supposed to be hired by October, but we haven't yet had any interviews.
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She might have been hinting at a point. Intent unclear. The Director of RSJ was supposed to be hired by October, but we haven't yet had any interviews.
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@JTforWard2 concludes: By expanding the number of vacancies, it allows the city to go deeper down the list of 34 interested candidates.
A dozen bypasses issued. 13 candidate withdrew.
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A dozen bypasses issued. 13 candidate withdrew.
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Bypass is when someone higher up the civil service list is skipped over for someone lower. There were 4 bypass appeals - i.e. people disagreeing that they've been skipped over.
This is all from early 2020. The candidates were given conditional offer letters in March.
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This is all from early 2020. The candidates were given conditional offer letters in March.
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There were 88 patrol officers as of March(?). 3 officers retired to create these vacancies. Disgraced officer McGrath is NOT counted as one of the vacancies. Technically he's still employed, but in an unpaid position.
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Now-retired Chief of Police Fallon made the request to expand to 16 vacancies. JT is trying to piece together why he might have made this request. He's not here to comment, obviously.
Again - this was January 2020.
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Again - this was January 2020.
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Mary Jo wants to review the 12 letters of bypass. That would be the explanation of why individuals were skipped over, despite being higher on the civil service list.
"It was suggested to me that we did not have that right to see these bypass letters".
City Lawyer is here.
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"It was suggested to me that we did not have that right to see these bypass letters".
City Lawyer is here.
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Reminder: City Council doesn't have a dedicated lawyer. The Administration has the legal department.
So we have to trust that the Administration's legal department is giving good faith, unbiased guidance to the city council.
The power balance is very ... not balanced.
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So we have to trust that the Administration's legal department is giving good faith, unbiased guidance to the city council.
The power balance is very ... not balanced.
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Legal says: Any bypass appeal will cause the bypass letter to be made public after a decision is made. There are 4 bypass appeals. 1 with a decision, so we have that bypass letter.
Bypass appeals can take a variable amount of time. Sometimes immediate. Sometimes 1 year+.
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Bypass appeals can take a variable amount of time. Sometimes immediate. Sometimes 1 year+.
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@JTforWard2: The City Council has asked for the Administration to NOT use the reserve list.
"One of the main distinctions between using the reserve list and using the standard civil service hiring process, is that the civil service list requires current vacancies"
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"One of the main distinctions between using the reserve list and using the standard civil service hiring process, is that the civil service list requires current vacancies"
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Even though we only had a handful of actual vacancies, the Chief of Police was able to - at his discretion - increase the number of candidates considered. This gives opportunity or appearance of discriminatory hiring.
S'Ville has lost lawsuits because of this.
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S'Ville has lost lawsuits because of this.
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And is on the doorstep of another lawsuit, @JTforWard2 muses. The decision for the bypass appeal includes commentary that Somerville's practices may warrant additional inquiry.
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@JTforWard2 goes on: Regardless of any new information that comes to light, these 9 individuals have secured their place in line. Whether approved or not by City Council, the order of hires is set in stone.
JT asks if this is correct. We're waiting for an answer.
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JT asks if this is correct. We're waiting for an answer.
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Instead of answering the question, Acting Chief Femino decides to explain how not hiring these folks onto the reserve list means that they cannot go to a 6 month long police academy.
And that this would be scary and bad and stuff.
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And that this would be scary and bad and stuff.
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Director Weber confirms (I think) that the order of candidates cannot change, regardless of whether the City Council approves them to the reserve list or not.
Director Weber also goes off script to ask to consider the "human cost and public safety concerns".
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Director Weber also goes off script to ask to consider the "human cost and public safety concerns".
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Mary Jo takes up a line of Q around funding, now. Explaining the importance of the Racial and Social Justice initiatives and re-imagining policing. Explaining the context to the new Acting Chief.
The hiring for the RSJ Director hasn't happened yet.
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The hiring for the RSJ Director hasn't happened yet.
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Mary Jo: I have a problem hiring all 9 right now, until we have that dialogue and decision about how exactly [we do that].
"If we consider these 9 individuals, we're going back on our word"
She might be okay with 3 vacancies, but not +6.
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"If we consider these 9 individuals, we're going back on our word"
She might be okay with 3 vacancies, but not +6.
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HEY! Hey did anyone notice that the Mayor isn't here???
@JoeCurtatone is avoiding the hot seat, it seems. He spoke a big game during budget -- lots of inspiring rhetoric on how we're going to re-imagine policing -- but is a no-show at the first real decision.
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@JoeCurtatone is avoiding the hot seat, it seems. He spoke a big game during budget -- lots of inspiring rhetoric on how we're going to re-imagine policing -- but is a no-show at the first real decision.
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If we consider only accepting 3 or 4 patrol officer appointments, we have to consider the top-scoring individuals from the civil service list.
BUT that is NOT the order they are in on the agenda / submitted from the city. So we (the public) don't have that transparency.
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BUT that is NOT the order they are in on the agenda / submitted from the city. So we (the public) don't have that transparency.
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New information: In the next 40 days there will be 3 additional people retiring, taking us to 6 vacancies.
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Mary Jo gives Acting Chief Femino the floor to explain the operational need for patrol officers. This is an echo of what the Mayor already said in his memo.
(Good time to grab a drink as I keep the speakers on)
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(Good time to grab a drink as I keep the speakers on)
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When it comes to re-imagining policing, it seems like Acting Chief Femino's idea is that we should do that later. That we need these officers so we can keep things as they are for now, and we'll change things later.
"Until the time comes when we have this concept..."
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"Until the time comes when we have this concept..."
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@KristenEStrezo asks "What is the family services department?". The Chief explains the departments function in responding and following up to domestic issues. There are 2 officers in that dep. Has been that way for a year. Has 2 vacancies.
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There are ~500 domestic violence calls per year. This department handles those cases. Also child molestation and sexual assault.
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@KristenEStrezo is using her time to help the SPD make the case for the needs for additional officers. Domestic issues are a high priority of hers.
"How quickly can they honestly respond to each case?" she asks, planting seeds for concerns about community safety.
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"How quickly can they honestly respond to each case?" she asks, planting seeds for concerns about community safety.
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"We need manpower in order to police this community." And Deputy Chief Stanford starts telling stories meant to raise further concerns about community safety in the absence of police. "Gun violence is going up."
"Things like that happen in our community far too frequently"
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"Things like that happen in our community far too frequently"
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My read: The police can't imagine a solution other than the police. From their view, if the police aren't there to respond, then no one will respond and disaster will occur.
I think that's typical.
It also ignores the harm caused by the police or b/c of police mistrust.
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I think that's typical.
It also ignores the harm caused by the police or b/c of police mistrust.
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@KristenEStrezo yields the floor, after spending 10 minutes giving the police a platform for their perspective of why we need more police.
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@MbahCouncilor Brings us back to the other perspective. He's not willing to appoint any new police officers, because we haven't done anything to address the harm associated with policing.
Seems like he wants the "re-imagining" to happen, first.
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Seems like he wants the "re-imagining" to happen, first.
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Mbah asks "Where's our civilian rapid response?". The Police Chief declines to address this question. (I'm shocked.)
Mayor's office (but not the Mayor, because... he's not here.) responds.
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Mayor's office (but not the Mayor, because... he's not here.) responds.
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"The Mayor is committed to doing this work. The conversations happening around in June were not just lip service. I want to make it clear to the Council and the public that this not lip service, it's something he's committed to doing."
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At some point in the lengthy "we're working on it, we promise" response, Director Webber begins reading from some script, I think.
(Judging by tone, pacing, and lack of "uhms")
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(Judging by tone, pacing, and lack of "uhms")
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The entirety of the response to what we've done for a civilian response force is phrased in the future tense.
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Mary Jo asks if there's been any quantitative measures (stats) regarding public safety that supports additional officers.
The Acting Chief redirects, declining to answer the question about stats. "We're working at a bare minimum."
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The Acting Chief redirects, declining to answer the question about stats. "We're working at a bare minimum."
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Mary Jo is like "Yeah. We heard you. That's why I said I would support filling the vacancies, only."
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@JTforWard2 comes back to our lack of progress on hiring the RSJ Director. Says that he and his constituents do not believe the Administration's urgency on that topic. But he does hear urgency from the Chief on the current status of the SPD.
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@JTforWard2 goes on: That is the point. Whether or not the current status of policing is what we intend to keep doing, or not. The challenge of managing how we are policing is a question of priorities. It's a set of open questions and conversation that is overdue.
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@JTforWard2 absolutely agrees with @MbahCouncilor's position of not being comfortable or willing to appoint police officers without seeing meaningful progress on reexamining policing.
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Mary Jo checks her understanding. JT Scott is not willing to appoint even the replacements to SPD without seeing meaningful progress on the commitments made by the Mayor and called for by the community.
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@KristenEStrezo reads a letter sent from residents of color, (Ben E of @Welcome_Project , @dre4theville, and additional residents.) calling for support of hiring police, citing the consequences of understaffed police.
They call for 3-5 appointments. (Filling vacancies)
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They call for 3-5 appointments. (Filling vacancies)
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