HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #30 - Discussion Item11
COMMISSION ACTION
TO. Howard V. Gary
City Manager
CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA
INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM
FROM: Juanita Shearej,"
City Staff Liaison
Overtown Blue Ribbon Committee
DATE: April 26, 1984 FILE:
SUBJECT: Overtown Blue Ribbon Committee
Acceptance of Final Report
REFERENCES: Agenda Item for May 10 / 19 8 4
City Commission Meeting
ENCLOSURES:
"It is recommended that the Findings
and Recommendations of the Overtown
Blue Riblw-)on Committee in the form
of the i]- I., ..n 11 I:eport 1983-1984 be
accchtc--.0.. .
The Overtown Blue Ribbon Committee has concluded its activities, and
hereby submits its an(l Itecomi-iiendations for acceptance by
the City Commission.
On January 3.3, I0_83, any Resolution 11183-65 the City Conuitission formal-
ized Motions. n83-1 and 83-2 of January 6, 1983, establi,=hind the Over -
town Blue Ribbon Committee to explore issues related to the December
1982 Civil Disturbance, including the death of Neville Johnson, Jr.,
and to examine and make recommendations for the improvement of socio-
economic conditions in Overtown.
In order to accomplish this task the Committee, chaired by Reverend
Winston Rudolf, developed two subcommittees. The Police Policies
Practices and Procedures Subcommittee was chaired by Adam Herbert,
and the Chairperson of the Environmental Considerations Subcommittee
was Kelsey Dorsett.
For the first several months hearings and discussions were held by
both groups. The Environmental Considerations Subcommittee concen-
trated on socioeconomic topics, including housing, economic develop-
ment opportunities, youth related issues, support systems, and educa-
tion. In focusing on law enforcement and the Miami Police Department,
the Police Policies Practices and Procedures Subcommittee looked at
recruitment, hiring, training and promotion, deployment, internal
and external review, use of deadly force, community relations, asso-
ciations, unions, and police policies.
Due to the ongoing investigation, litigation and lack of subpoena
power, the Subcommittee chose not to examine issues specific
to the Neville Johnson, Jr. case.
045Cuss%o�
Howard V. Gary
April 26, 1984
Beginning in August through to November, 1983, time was spent
analyzing the content of the transcripts from the hearings, and
reviewing related material to determine the direction which the
final report would take. From December 1983 onwards the Writing
Committees, which developed from the two Subcommittees, worked
on their respective subcommittee reports with Geoffrey Alpert
and Rowena Atkins as the principal writers.
The Final Report is divided into five sections. The Executive Summary
includes the recommendations of both subcommittees as well as the
philosophical concerns and aspirations which evolved as the Committee
carried out its ta.�]:. The Background and Int-roduction section deals
With the struc:,tux-(� of the Ove,_ to�.n l31_ue }Z i�l:�ot� Committee and the
methodolocy z',cgui.rin(s The I'inz1 ]_ Rct_ or_ts
:COf CaC7 "J11)71CiITI1ttCCFL111_(1i\'lC lcZ-'1. S_'(-'IZ-". c c.l') o ):
which C`Oilt- a �.IIC_ ���`C'�'J a. 1 (.' t_'t_'(:'t_�li"1?IIE:'))(�C'i1:1 C`1'1; Per C(`Ii mJ t:1:cO
whose Ii j c hi- nolk- (.,o) ))oJo( \ ii h I'i1Ilority
Opinion ,-(- (`t_. (I) >rt+: � ncl udc(i . To only Vli 1 1 i _:111 i>(:)—y )1�1,- -�C - s ,d
us of a71f.� ?.ni.cl—It:i(3n"71 1:(;) %1-L:)V'7.r_'YE? .;i)G)1 i'; ;lil)i11i_: ,.,.I<)I1. lif, i71(.= �J.Ili31.
section (:)t: t hc, T�f'J�?C)7"t� r t ic_ i n(=1_tI6 c !- (.lj, t:1)c 1_(>cY,isIatlon
and corres-ponclenc a.71i..t_a,�:;'I:,i.nq 11-ic C)VC J t::C.il;n Y`1l UC' T 1-1.)1?on FI'Ll lt.t.f_C, a
list of all. the hcar..-ings includinG the: n.-.mc: , Of who
made presentations, and other related information. The hundreds of
pages of verbatum transcripts which were generated at each hearing
will be separately bound for future reference.
JS/cg
Enclosures: Copies of the final document will be provided for
distribution on Friday May 4, 1984.
cc: Law Department