HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-11-20 PAC Minutes-Special Meeting
WORKING PAPERS
Maplewood Police Advisory Commission (MPAC) Session Notes 11/20/2018
C. Weinstein, Ethical Leaders in Action
Introduction and Purpose
This document is intended to capture topics and some preliminary conclusions reached by
Maplewood Police Advisory Commissioners in a facilitated discussion held on November 20,
2018 at Maplewood Fire Station #2. The content below represents the perspective of the
facilitator, and is provided for the use of commissioners, staff members, and others engaged in
discussions described below. It does not describe any formal actions by the MPAC.
The aim of these discussions is to improve the function of the commission based on its
experience to date. It reflects a spirit of continuous improvement rather than an effort to fix
hat the MPAC remains a work
in progress.
Discussion Topics and Notes
The facilitator presented observations from a round of interviews, organized into points of
consensus, points of some degree of disagreement, and a few assertions presented by the
facilitator himself. These are documented in a PowerPoint presentation shared with meeting
participants. Following are notes from the substantive topics discussed in the meeting.
Purpose of the Commission and Roles of Commissioners
Commissioners all felt that the following statement broadly describes the purpose of the MPAC:
The MPAC will serve Maplewood by:
Stimulating substantive communication and promoting mutual understanding between
police and community members.
Providing community input to guide police leadership (in the form of recommendations,
not oversight).
This summary statement is consistent with the original charter approved by the Maplewood
City Council.
Commissioners were also in agreement that their role should include participation in
Maplewood Police Department (MPD) community outreach efforts, in addition to participating
in MPAC meetings and other discussions and events. There was an acknowledgement that this
will require a real investment of time from commissioners and staff, along with a recognition
that more frequent meetings and events will naturally mean that individual commissioners will
miss meetings and events from time to time.
MPAC Facilitator Notes 11/20/2018 Page 1
C. Weinstein, Ethical Leaders in Action
Recruiting Commissioners
The group agreed that one priority for the MPAC is the recruitment of commissioners who
represent the many communities of Maplewood is a priority. This will include specific targets
for specific groups and communities. MPAC should also look to many dimensions of diversity,
including age.
Other Notes regarding recruiting commissioners:
Engage business owners and leaders in discussions and working groups, and as
commissioners as appropriate
Engage students, especially minors enrolled in our schools.
MPAC action item: develop a specific plan and goals for commissioner recruitment.
Meeting Frequency, Topics, and Format
The group agreed to meet monthly for three consecutive months, and then to determine an
appropriate frequency of meetings going forward.
The group discussed adding topical discussions to future meetings and considered the potential
for hosting community forums on relevant topics. Each of these approaches would be
undertaken to address specific goals and topics that the MPAC would undertake over time.
Other notes concerning meetings and topics:
The MPAC will consider clarifying or revising agenda-setting processes.
The City will provide MPAC with guidance on compliance with laws and city policies and
guidelines.
Some commissioners specifically requested more specific working agendas and
predictable meeting timeframes.
Commissioners also noted that any MPAC goals must be realistic and sufficiently
specific.
The development of subcommittees ad hoc or standing - was discussed, but any action
to do so would be premature at this time.
MPAC Action Item: Determine meeting frequency, topics, and other features to become a part
of future MPAC meetings.
MPAC Review of MPD Operational Data
Data-driven discussions will remain a critical feature of the commission; the group will move
toward focusing those discussions on the implications and meaning of the data presented. The
goals are to use the data to generate meaningful insights for commissioners and ultimately for
interested community members, and perhaps to inform recommendations to the MPD.
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C. Weinstein, Ethical Leaders in Action
Other discuss
Align data needs to topical interests, and to inform action-oriented decision-making.
The goal is to create a data set that is consistent over time and which is optimized for
both MPAC usefulness and efficient use of staff time.
The facilitator suggested that the MPAC consider collaborating with PD leadership to
present data to commissioners in advance of meetings, along with an executive
summary and discussion of implications.
MPAC action item: update the current data set and the processes for presenting and discussing
data on a regular basis.
Commissioner Onboarding
MPAC must prepare new commissioners to participate fully in MPAC discussions and to
function effectively as commissioners, which is a community leadership role. The process must
also be realistic in its scope and reflect an efficient use of commissioner and staff time.
MPAC action item: Develop and implement a commissioner onboarding process. (This work
was already undertaken by some commissioners, and may be underway)
Conclusion and Next Steps
The group will reconvene for additional facilitated discussions on November 27, 2018. The
group will briefly review the above notes for accuracy, and then develop a broad, prioritized set
of topics and goals to be addressed during the three-month series of MPAC meetings that will
follow that session.
MPAC Facilitator Notes 11/20/2018 Page 3
C. Weinstein, Ethical Leaders in Action