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HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-84-0283t d RESOLUTION NO.84 -283 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CHIEF OF POLICE TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE: EXECUI IVE STAFF OF THE POLICE FOUNDATION OF WASHINGTON, D.C. FOR AN AGREEMENT WITH SAID FOUNDATION TO FUND A VIOLENCE REDUCTION PROGRAM INVOLVING THE DEVELOPMENT, DOCUMENTATION AND VALIDATION OF ROLE-PLAYING SCENARIOS THAT WILL ENHANCE OFF ICERS' SKILL5 IN DEFUSING POTENTIALLY VIOLENT ENCOUNTERS WITH CITIZENS; SAID AGREEMENT CALLING FOR CITY -MATCHING FUNDS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $200,000 WITH MONIES THEREFOR TO BE ALLOCATED FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT FORFEITURE TRUST FUND. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMM I55ION OF THE CITY Of MIAMI, FLORIDA: Section 1. The City Manager and the Chief of Police are hereby authorized to enter into negotiations with the executive staff of the Police Foundation of Washington, D.C. for an agreement with said Foundation to fund a Violence SA Reduction Program involving the development, documentation z and validation of role-playing scenarios that will enhance officers' skill in defusing violent encounters with citizens; with the required City -matching funds in an amount not to exceed $200,000 to be allocated from the Law Enforcements Forfeiture Trust Fund. , PASSED AND ADOPTED this 8th day of March , 1984. Maurice A. Ferre EST r r , PREPARED AND APPROVED BY: a. _OSERT F. t k: REsowItuii ,.u. 84-283 1 0 37. CIi'Y OF MIAMI. FLORIDA INFER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM TO H. C. Eads, Jr. Assistant City Manager FROM: DATE February 3, 1984 FILE: SUBJECT Violence Reduction Program Resolution Requested for Commission Action REFERENCES' Herbert Breslow ENCLOSURES: Chief of Police It is requested that the City Commission authorize the City Manager to negotiate an agreement with the Police Foundation of Washington, D.C. through James J. Fyfe, Project Director Lawrence W. Murphy, President. This contract will be for funding not to exceed $200,000 for a Violence Reduction Program. This program's purpose is to develop, document and validate role-playing scenarios that will equip officers with the skills required to defuse potentially violent encounters with citizens without resort to force. The proposed program is responsive to the recent recommendations of the Dade County Grand Jury, and will enhance and build upon the already excellent level of training provided by both the City of Miami and Metro Dade Police Departments. The program will make extensive use of role-playing techniques, which have been used successfully by both departments in training and personal assessment programs. Further, by imparting skills and techniques useful in avoiding violence, it will supplement the training benefits of the September and Associates simulator which, in other departments, is used to teach techniques for dealing with violence already in progress. Finally program training will take place at the Metro -Dade Survival City complex, an excellent facility for participative training in responses to potentially violent situations. 84--2841 The City of Miami $200,000 from the Violence Reduction Washington, D.C. Page 2 Advantages of achieving a training program to assess and enhance officer's skills in defusing potentially violent encounters with citizens include the following: - Fewer citizen injuries and deaths; - Fewer officer injuries and deaths; - Improved police -community relations; - Reduced exposure to departmental liability police actions; - Improved police morale. Police Department is requesting a commitment of Law Enforcement Forfeiture Trust Fund for the Program proposed by the police Foundation of for wrongful n with the The Police Foundation lto developwork in and test cinnovvativeorole-playing University of Miami training for police in how to reduce violence. This program, which has already received the full endorsement of the Florida State Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commis- sion through a resolution passed on September 30, 1983, offer several advantages to the City of Miami and Metro -Dade. It will place the departments of both jurisdictions at the leading edge of police training technology. It will reolicesult lnersonnelg developed in a unique collaboration of local p p local citizens, and national experts. It will mark the first time in American policing history that the effects of training specifically developed to reduce police -citizen violence have been scientifically evaluated. Thus, it will provide an empirical ,basefinementfuture training, that officers' servehaslarmodel for further r�. for police around the nation. The program involves several steps, which will take place over a one-year period. First, a project task force composed of personnel from both agencies will be Next, selected ytheresponsible City of Miami and Metro -Dade officials. e of the Police Foundation and training experts from scenariosaround usefhe country, the task force will develop role-play in training officers to avoid violence in police -citizens encounters without abrogating their law enforcement and order maintenance responsibilities. After comment upon these scenarios by a Citizens' Advisory Committee, observers provided by the University of Miami will record the behavior of 1City of Mivioami and 100 Metro -Dade officers during potentially situations. Half of each of these groups will then receive 84-283 H. G. Eadse February 3 e Page 2 Advantages of achieving a training program to assess and enhance officer's skills in defusing potentially violent encounters with citizens include the following: - Fewer citizen injuries and deaths; - Fewer officer injuries and deaths; - Improved police -community relations; - Reduced exposure to departmental liability for wrongful police actions; - Improved police morale. The City of Miami Police Department is requesting a commitment of Violence from then LPro Exam rperoposed obyether polices Foundationtof Violence Reductio 9 Washington, D.C. The Police Foundation will work in collaboration with the University of Miami in how develop and testvioinnovative a role-playing training for police This program, which has already received the full endorsement of the Florida State Criminal Justice Standards and Traini19g Commis- sion through a resolution passed on September 30, ll offer several advantages to the City of Miami and Metro -Dade. It will place the departments of both jurisdictions at the leading edge of police training technology. It will result in training developed in a unique collaboration of local police personnel, local citizens, and national experts. It will mark the first time in American policing history that the effects of training specifically developed to reduce police -citizen violence have been scientifically evaluated. Thus, it will provide empirical basis �ment future trainings that will rservehaslar model for further r,fin for police around the nation. The program involves several steps, which will take place over a one-year period. First, a project task force composed of personnel from both agencies will be selected by responsible City of Miami and Metro -Dade officials. Next, with the assistance of the Police Foundation and training experts from around the country, the task force will develop role-play sc naoliCe citizens ios useful in training officers to avoid violence in p encounters without abrogating their law enforcement and order maintenance responsibilities. After comment upon these scenarios by a Citizens' Advisory Committee, observers provided by the University of Miami will record the behavior of 100 City of Miami and Metro -Dade officers during potentially violent situations. Half of each of these groups will then receive 84-283 H. C. Eads► Jt, February 3► 1984 Page 3 program training, while the remainder will participate only in normally scheduled in-service training until further training is scheduled. Following the period in which pilot groups are trained, project ff will a ain observe and record the behavior of all 200 sta 9 officers during potentially violent situations. Analysis of resulting data will allow for evaluation of program effects and, combined with evaluation of other data (e.g. citizen complaints; use of force reports), will suggest modification and further refinement of program training before it is delivered to City of Miami and Metro -Dade officers. To fund the proposed budget of $688,500.00, the Police Foundation is contributing $50,000.00; the National Institute of Justice, $150,000.00; and Metro -Dade County, $200,000.00. The Police Foundation is requesting that the City of Miami match the Metro -Dade commitment of $200,000.00. It is anticipated that the remaining balance of $88,500.00 shall be met by the State of Florida and corporate contributions spearheaded by the Miami Crime Commission. This $88,500.00 may, in fact, be diminished by the additional funds anticipated from the National Institute of Justice which has indicated that it will likely receive United States Justice Department approval to increase its $150,000.00 inn _ 84-283