Public Safety Committee
Southwest Partnership
June 24, 2020
MINUTES
Introductions
Jr Jones (UMB Police), Dan Rodenburg (USA), Catherine Neely (USA), Richard Parker (Friends of Carol Park), Erika Brockman, Russ Rober (Mounted Police), Regina Merritt (Hollins), Laura D. (Hollins), Ebony Nicholson (Hollins), Bif Browning (Union Square), Tyrone Roper (UMB), Abigail Breiseth (Education), Patty Hogan (USA), Kelleigh Eastman (COP), Keith Robinson (SWP), Thomas Hams (USA), Venroy July, Khandra Sears, Scott Kashnow, Howard Hughes
- Approval of May minutes – Dan made motion, JR seconded
New Business
- 7:15-7:45 Fireworks – Discussion on how to best approach this
- Tyrone Roper: Generally younger folks, because it’s fun → pressure for elected officials to create a space to with fireworks experts to have and release fireworks safely → create opportunities for conversations
- Need the right people to reach out
- Barrier to this is that these fireworks are illegal
- Richard: potential locations for safe fireworks use — Carroll Camden, Union Hall? Large space, parking lots.
- Potential steps:
- 1. Build rapport – steps? volunteers?
- 2. Identify some youth who can communicate with youth
- 3. Core group to build relationships with youth?
- Abigail: this needed to start before summer. Dovetails with discussion in the Education Committee. Busy kids don’t get into trouble.
- Having a junior SWP Public Safety Committee is an idea.
- Tyrone Roper: Generally younger folks, because it’s fun → pressure for elected officials to create a space to with fireworks experts to have and release fireworks safely → create opportunities for conversations
- 7:45-8:45 Mounted Police Horse Stables
- JR received request for letter of support for keeping the Mounted Police Stables funded
- Discussion ensued on whether support was appropriate given national upheaval over police brutality, and movements to defund the police
- Interest in considering options for reallocating that funding to some other community benefit for Mount Clare neighborhood.
- Committee decided not to vote on the matter of writing a letter of support.
- 8:45-8:50 Pigtown fire engine closing
- Discussion on Pigtown fire engine proposed to close.
- All were in favor of writing letter of support [ Letter was sent ]
- 8:50-8:55 Community Updates
- Venroy: introduced safety concerns at Poppleton & Lombard and asked for volunteers to help.
Old Business
- 8:25-8:30 Lighting survey – no updates
- 8:30-8:35 Alley Gates – no updates
Adjourned: JR first, Abigail second
