Olympia Police, Community Conversations Continue

Above: Jose Gutierrez, Jr., a faculty member at South Puget Sound Community College, speaks Monday night at a forum discussing personal experiences and perspectives about police issues. To his left are Tony Benton of Rainier Valley Radio, Seattle, and Jeremy Newton, faculty member at St. Martin’s University. Other panel members included Olympia community activists and candidates for public office, Rafael Ruiz and Marco Rosaire Rossi. The event was held at Traditions Fair Trade in downtown Olympia and was coordinated by Ruth Brownstein, KAOS 89.3 FM Community Radio general manager at The Evergreen State College. It was the first in a series of community conversations called “Tea and Talk.” 

The room was packed with community members voicing their thoughts about police and community relations, which included the May 21 shooting in Olympia of two young African American men, Andre Thompson and Bryson Chaplin, by Olympia Police Officer Ryan Donald. Andre Thompson and his sister Jasmine were in the audience but did not speak. Brownstein said that she chose this topic because “it was long overdue that we talk to each other and get to know each other as a community.” Brownstein also said that she invited representatives from the Olympia Police Department, the Lacey Police Department, and The Evergreen State College campus police department, and all declined the opportunity to participate.

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The Olympia Police Department will give council members an oral report called, “Creating a Leading Organization” at a city council study session on Tuesday, August 25, at 5:30 p.m. at Olympia City Hall, 601 4^th Avenue East.

Presenters will discuss the police department’s strategic initiatives through 2020 and include Olympia Police Department Chief Ronnie Roberts; Lt. Paul Lower; Jail Manager Chandra Brady; Acting Lt. Rich Allen; and the department’s administrative services manager, Laura Wohl.

There is no city council meeting scheduled following the study session.

Wednesday: Ad Hoc Committee on Police and Community Relations

The first meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on Police and Community Relations will be held on Wednesday, August 26, 5:00 p.m., at Garfield Elementary, 325 Plymouth St. NW, in the multi-purpose room.

The agenda states that public comment will not be allowed.

The group will review and discuss roles and responsibilities of the committee, review the committee charter, and discuss future meeting dates and locations.

At the Tuesday, August 18 city council meeting, Mayor Stephen Buxbaum made a surprise announcement about the upcoming meeting of the ad hoc committee on police and community relations group and named additional participants, providing brief biographies of each member.

At the meeting, Mayor Buxbaum said that the committee will meet up to six months and have up to five community forums within that timeframe. He said that within approximately two months, the committee will have a work session with the whole council, and two work sessions with the council before the end of the year.

The public is invited to attend the meetings, but he said not all meetings will be open for public comment. Committee members will have city email accounts and a website will be established for the committee. There will be a method for the public to leave comments for the committee via the city website.

Although Mayor Buxbaum said that this information will be announced on the city website, as of this writing (Tuesday, August 25, at 1:15 a.m.), it is still not available on the city website.

A city webpage on the police shooting was last updated since August 6.

In that update, the Olympia Police Department said: The Critical Incident Team has completed their investigation and transferred it to the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office. The Olympia Police Department does not have a copy of the investigative report. The Prosecutor will review the report contents, consider the case details and request any additional follow-up work needed. Once the Prosecutor has completed his review, he will publicly issue his findings as well as any criminal charges. The Olympia Police Department will learn the results of this investigation along with our community at that time.

Ad Hoc Committee on Police and Community Relations Charter

Mayor Buxbaum and Mayor Pro Tem Nathaniel Jones have been charged by the council with enlisting the help of five community members who would act as a “convener group.”  

Exact language of the charter is as follows:

The group’s purpose is to develop opportunities for broad-based and inclusive engagement with the community about police and community relations.

The specific charge of the task force is to work as a team, in collaboration with City of Olympia staff and local non-profit organizations, and carry out up to five community forums to receive information and share perspectives about methods for engaging under-represented and minority groups on policing practices in order to bridge understanding between Olympia’s law enforcement officers and the public and seek input on a preferred process for engaging the public on implementing police-worn body cameras.

Engagement methods will include community briefings by city staff and other criminal justice professionals, small group discussions, and other direct public engagement strategies.

Outcomes: Within six months of appointment, provide a summary of what was heard that might assist Olympia in achieving its goals as a transparent and inclusive organization.

Challenges for success: Achieving broad based community input and understanding; Attaining adequate resources to support the ad hoc committee; Staying within the charter of the Committee; Delivering results within the appointed time frame.

The Comprehensive Plan establishes a broad policy framework for Olympia’s public services that emphasizes the importance of integrated and interdisciplinary approaches to service delivery. Criminal justice issues can’t be addressed solely through policing. Partnerships between police, the courts, schools, the religious community and many other organizations are essential to addressing the sources of much of the crime in our community. Public engagement is a critical part of this work.

As stated in the Public Services section of our Comprehensive Plan [GS15]:

The citizens of Olympia are empowered as partners in solving community problems.

The Ad Hoc Committee is tasked with identifying strategies to advance the following three Comprehensive Plan Public Service Goals:

PS15.1: Form interdisciplinary partnerships with individuals and groups in the community to address policing issues.

PS15.2: Involve citizens as we look for ways to reduce repeat crimes, and use education to prevent crime.

PS15.3: Emphasize the need for our police force to have positive, day-to-day interaction with the public that encourages collaboration on problem-solving, rather than responding only to crises. Regular contact between the police and citizens helps strengthen working relationships and makes policing more effective.

To this end, the purpose of the task force is:

To engage the public and 1) provide them with information on current activities and best practices, 2) listen for opportunities for improvement, and 3) create grounds for positive and productive engagement between people who have different experiences and perspectives.

Ad Hoc Committee on Community and Police Relations

Ms. Reiko Callner

Reiko Callner is a local attorney and human rights activist.  She is the current Olympia Chapter President of the Japanese American Citizens’ League.  She is the former Chair of the State Human Rights Commission. 

In her day job, she is employed as the Executive Director for the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct.  She worked in Thurston County as a prosecutor for ten years and has represented Child Protective Services.  Her emphasis in prosecution was on domestic violence issues, diversity and hate crimes.  She wrote the hate crimes ordinance for the City of Olympia, and has prepared and presented a domestic violence program for the Department of Ecology, workplace violence programs for state and local agencies, and diversity programs for law enforcement agencies. 

She was an active member of Hands Off Washington!, a GLBT rights organization in the 1990s.  She is one of the founding members of Unity in the Community, an anti-hate crime organization, volunteers with a variety of civil rights organizations, and performs with a Polynesian dance group. 

She was the recipient of the YWCA’s Woman of Achievement Award for Social Justice in 2000 and the Capital City Pride Day Award in 2005.

Ms. Kerensa Mabwa

Kerensa is the Community Engagement Coordinator for Garden Raised Bounty (GRuB), a local non-profit that works with youth and people with low-incomes to create empowering individual & community food solutions. Kerensa has 20 years of experience in the nonprofit world including work on parenting & child welfare, affordable housing, project evaluation, management & fundraising. She is passionate about helping people to tap into their innate strengths to live successful and sustainable lives. Kerensa is deeply inspired by holding space for group collaboration and multicultural awareness.

Mr. Curt Pavola

Curt Pavola is a program manager at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Previously, Curt worked for the Association of Washington Cities and was responsible for policy development, educational programming for city officials.

In January 2000 Curt was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Olympia City Council. In November 2001 he was elected to a full four-year term that ended in December 2005. 

As a community advocate, Curt worked many years for political campaigns at the federal, state and local levels, while also pursuing non-discrimination and equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. 

As part of this community organizing work, Curt created non-profit organizations, led advocacy projects and interacted with the news media and elected officials, while also maintaining a broader focus on community outreach and education.

Mr. Clinton Eugene Petty

Mr. Petty is a Vietnam veteran and a retired US Army Division Command Sergeant Major. His professional career includes service for the State of Washington as the director of operations for the Employment Security Department and Director of the Washington State Unemployment Insurance Program. He retired from state service in 2001. While in state service Mr. Petty was twice awarded the Distinguished Manager award by two Governors.

Mr. Petty currently serves as Trustee, Director of Operation and Training and Facility Planning for Risen Faith Fellowship Church since its inception in 1989. He is married to Pastor Charlotte Beeler Petty. He is a father, a grandfather, and  a great-grandfather.

Mr. Alejandro Rugarcia

Mr. Rugarcia was born in Mexico City and immigrated to the United States and became a citizen in 2009.  He completed his Masters of Public Administration at the Evergreen State College in 2012. He has worked for multiple non-profit organizations and is currently employed by the Olympia Food Coop and also serves as a member of the Coop’s Board of Directors.  Mr. Rugarcia desires to build a diverse, strong and safe community based on respect, understanding and inclusion.

Ex Officio Member: Lt. Aaron Jelcick

Lieutenant Jelcick has served as a police officer for the Olympia Police Department for 22 years. His positions have included service as a patrol officer, a field training officer, emergency driving instructor, walking patrol division, detective for the Thurston County Narcotics Task force, a general crimes detective, a patrol sergeant, the detective sergeant, and now the special operations lieutenant.  Prior to joining the Olympia Police Department, he attended Washington State University, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree in criminal justice. 

For more information about the Olympia Police Department, go to past articles on Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com, and use the search button to type in key words.

Olympia Community Comes Together After Police Shooting of Two Men

Above: Olympia Police Chief Ronnie Roberts gives an overview of the day's events regarding the shooting of two African American men at a forum tonight at Temple Beth Hatfiloh in downtown Olympia.

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Hundreds attended a public forum held tonight at Temple Beth Hatfiloh in downtown Olympia in response to the police shooting incident of two young African American men on Olympia’s westside early Thursday morning.

The forum provided an opportunity for community members to share their feelings about the incident and engage in dialogue. About 15 clergy members from various faith communities and City of Olympia officials, including Chief of Police Ronnie Roberts, Mayor Stephen Buxbaum and other councilmembers, and city staff were in attendance.

Over 30 speakers spoke for an hour and a half, voicing feelings of sorrow, fear, hurt, disappointment, anger and many other emotions. Reiko Callner, a local attorney, human rights activist, and member of the City of Olympia’s Civil Service Commission, facilitated the open mic session. Speakers had at least three minutes each to speak.

Rabbi Seth Goldstein welcomed everyone, saying that the purpose for the evening was to come together to hear diverse points of view in unity…with intention…open hearts, open hands, and prayers for peace, justice and healing.”

Speakers were eloquent, passionate, and spoke from the heart. Many called for an independent citizen advisory review board, police dashboard and body cameras, better training of police officers, and transparency and openness in the investigation process.

Below are some people’s thoughts:

“Police don’t get a chance to apologize because it would bring lawsuits like fleas on a dog…I wish we could include that without tearing them down…They’re just human….” said a man.

“I do support law enforcement…hindsight is 20/20, we all don’t know what happened last night…I believe we all need to stand together as a community…it’s sad when lives are lost and people are hurt….God be with us….” said a woman.

A man who heard the incident said, “This shooting incident happened about 100 yards from my house. I was awakened by the first three shots and…the shooting was all over in about 10 seconds. There were three quick, evenly spaced shots, then an interval of perhaps five to 10 seconds, and then four more shots again, evenly spaced. And, in between, I could hear shouting. I couldn’t hear voices or what was being said but there was audible shouting between the shots and after the shots. I certainly don’t know anything about the officer’s state of mind or to what degree he was threatened or felt threatened but I do feel that…there wouldn’t have been any time before that…it was swift and it was over. And, well, what that means to the investigation or anything, I don’t know. That is what happened, that is what I heard.” [Editor's Note, 5-22-2015: This reporter was in the back of the room. The man was questioning the police version of events. The ellipsis means the speaker went on to say more important information that I have not included here. This man's quote as included here is not to be used as fact in a court of law or to be used as evidence.]

A man said, “It was wrong to have those boys get shot, in my opinion…because they stole some beer….There’s a pattern going on in this country where the cops do these kinds of things and they walk away from it…and that bothers me a lot…The racial question cannot be avoided….It’s so clear…I don’t understand…I look at you (Ronnie Roberts) as the chief, what’s going on? People are getting shot, particularly black people and Hispanic people….This cannot be handed over to the police to investigate….”

Another man said, “My primary concern is that the process work for as many people as possible. The ideal process should find out the truth, a sense of fairness for all…and an outcome of compassion, justice, accountability…and a plan for moving forward….I want an investigative body besides Thurston County…I don’t know what that would look like…I am struggling with the issue of process going forward….”

A social worker said he is highly concerned that officers are not being held accountable when in his profession, he is held highly accountable to state standards.

One man admitted that he had shoplifted when he was young.

“…I was never in fear that I was going to be shot…I have one daughter who is perceived to be white, and one who is perceived to be black. I suspect that if they were caught shoplifting, they would be treated differently…I don’t trust the police after what I’ve seen in the last six months….” He lamented that he has not heard our local police say a word about the incidents that have occurred nationwide. '“Where are the police?'” he asked.

One woman said that she has felt sad all day, hearing helicopters over the westside neighborhoods all day.

“I watched the press conference and heard the tone of defensiveness (from the police) that maybe this officer was acting appropriately….That scares me that I live in a community that somebody can throw a can of beer and no one is saying, '“Wow, we made a mistake…a mistake was made…”' She expressed that there are too many police with military training.

“Military training is very different from community policing….What are we going to do to make sure this never happens again?” She said she was grateful that this gathering was happening and that, as a grandmother, she knows her blue eyed, Caucasian grandson is privileged, and her heart grieves for African American mothers who fear for the lives of their children.

One woman asked why a Taser couldn’t have been used instead, and expressed her support for the young men’s mother.

Another woman said, “Everyone is human, and racism is foundational to the creation of our country and continuation of systems of power….As a white person…I look at my own racism…It’s hard to sit through this stuff…As white folks we don’t know our own privilege, and we need to call it out, what’s happening.…(if we don’t) it’s the worst kind of racism….”

Another woman said, “I don’t trust the Sheriff’s Department to lead the investigation…listen to the audio recording….The militarization of police forces across the United States is a disease, and now we have this disease in Olympia….”

A man said, “….I have more questions than answers…a shift has occurred in me. I feel like I’m afraid of the police, and I’m not homeless, I’m not mentally ill, and I’m white. Why am I afraid? I don’t know. There is a disconnect and I don’t know how to fix it….”

One woman asked, “Why pursue in the first place? That started the whole sequence of events…What’s the outcome of this?”

A clergy member asked, “How will we heal? This is a good first step…Healing needs to be an intentional thing amongst the media and our community….”

Another clergy member asked, “….I wonder about a community that has trained its police and empowered people in the community to confront two people under suspicion by themselves without backup….”

A woman said she could pick out someone that she loves seated in every row. “We deserve better than this and we are better than this….”

A man who lives in the Goldcrest neighborhood said he was detoured this morning from his usual route to work and just got off work to attend the forum. “….This is hard to imagine in Olympia that unarmed people could be shot by police…I hope we’ll give benefit of the doubt as to motives until we know differently….I hope we’ll look at every way to learn from this….”

“I’m horrified this happened in Olympia…and it did….I have no faith that Thurston County officers are going to say it wasn’t a justified use of force…I want from the city council a clear and specific recognition that implicit racism is at play here…explain it, describe it, and hold people accountable for it…we are now a community that an officer shot two unarmed black boys….” said a woman.

A woman who identified herself as a member of the Christian community at The Evergreen State College said she is frustrated about the call to not rush to judge the police’s actions.

“What’s so frustrating is that these two black boys were not given the opportunity… to defend themselves….Black men are demonized…. I remember reading about...Officer Darren Wilson saying that Michael Brown was like a demon coming after him, and that’s how black lives are viewed…so I think it’s about more than body cams, although that’s a good start…I think it’s about how people with privilege and power choose to view…marginalized communities….What happened this morning is not an isolated incident….We need to model something different….”

A registered nurse with 20 years’ experience said that the young men deserve our prayers. “…Even if they recover, their spiritual and body wounds will be long….” She said the shooting was irresponsible in light of the national climate and oppression, and did not believe that race had nothing to do with the incident. “I don’t believe that…I’m the mother of a teenage boy who is light-skinned…I fear for his safety but I can’t imagine what it’s like for African American mothers who worry about their children….”

That woman’s son also spoke up, saying there is racial inequality at his school, eloquently closing by saying, “A color should not determine whether you live or you die….”

A woman who said she’s lived in Olympia for four years said, “I love Olympia…but I’m not surprised that something like this has happened in our community because people of color are harassed…We’re neck deep in right now….”

Another woman said, “If I accidently hit somebody with my car, I’m held accountable….Everybody is responsible for what they do….”

A clergy member said, “There’s one truth – love is greater than fear…As we embrace and resist fear that is out there and fight the fear and find the treasure of love, people will look at Olympia and say, 'We do things different here….'”

Another clergy member, Rev. Amy Walters, of First Christian Church, said, “I am troubled and hurt for our city but I’m going to leave here with some hope to continue to take steps forward to have dialog and we’ll work things out together – we are better – and clergy are committed to this process…While my heart is heavy, I’m going to leave with hope.”

For more information about the incident from the City of Olympia, including the 911 audio recording of the incident, go to www.olympiawa.gov

For previous articles about the City of Olympia Police Department on Little Hollywood, go www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and use the search button to type in key words.