HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #23 - Discussion Item53,
MEMORANDUM
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To Mr. Howard Gary
Miami City Manager
FROM Robert H. Simmsr ,
Executive Director
Community Relations rd
DATE September 28, 1981
SUBJECT proposal for Crisis
Response Team
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Proposed Budget
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Job Descriptions
A) Systems Coordinator
(Director, Crisi's
B) Community
Relations Specialist
C) Community
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Relations Aides/Roving YothLeader
D) Secretary
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(Cletk/Typist)
VI)
Appendix
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RATIONn�� ;.
Increasing incidents of disruptive behavior problems in Dade County
Public Schools and the surrounding communities (school vandalism,
jewelry snatching, assault and batteries, snatch and grab operations,
battery on utility workers, drug abuse, etc.) seem to indicate that
those involved in the Educational, Law Enforcement and Private
Enterprise process must develop strategies to prevent school and
coimnunity disturbances from occurring, rather than use the crisis
oriented approach of reacting to a disturbance after it occurs. The
Community Relations Board Crisis Response Team has demonstrated
tl d ffectivel avert conflict and crises by
a i ity to a I- a" y an e y
proactive intervention prior to the onset of crisis conditions and
to successfully implement a process of street mediation during civil
disturbances.
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CRISIS INTERVENTION/RUMOR CONTROL SYSTEM
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1 5 G 7 8 9 0
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PNOtess;
1.
Perception/notification of crisis,'
2.
Staff investigation (on site br by phone) to �alidae ihforl►Iation.
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Assessment of situation by CR8 administrat16h-
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appropriate �Pu�rror; Oohtrol,
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4a:
Notify County Manager and others
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4b.
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Notify appropriate resources. Jx
5.
Mobilization of resources (Kitchen i�abinet'Ah staff) if crisis is
confirmed. ,-
6.
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Facilitate on -site negotiations.'yk
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Kabinet causes and possibleeff�cts.'f
7.
Kitchen analyzes
81
Development of strategy/action an.
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Implement action plan. A"
10.
Report procedures and action plan to the County Manager's off ice,.Rumow.
Control and all appropriate persons, agencies and groups.
---If rumor or crisis is unfounded, steps 4 through 8 will not be
necessary.
---If rumor or crisis is unfounded, but there is a high level of
community tension, step 4 and/or 5 may not be necessary. .;
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Components:
a ='
1.
CRB staff members implement procedures and coordinate resources.
2. Community resources (i.e., street brokers, youth leaders, etc.) are
identified from areas of the County which have the greatest potential for
conflict. These cadres are on call to diffuse hostilities, communicate with,
the corrnmunity, facilitate on -site and long term negotiations and to promote
CRB/Kitchen Kabinet follow-up action.
3. County employees from other departments (via Kitchen Kabinet) who have
relevant skills and insight are mobilized to mronitor community dynamics,
rumors and potential conflict situations.
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WON
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Authority:
s
In
June 1963, Metropolitan Dade County's Board of County Commissioners enacted
,,..
Ordinance
No. 63-22 creating the Community Relations Board as an advisory body
to
Metro Government. This unique community agency received a mandate to re-
solve
the hardcore social problems and economic distresses troubling Dade County.
The
Commission specifically charges CRB as follows:
Function:
I.
"To foster mutual understanding, tolerance, and respect among..al,l,?econrjm
social, religious and ethnic groups in Dade County."
II.
"To make studies in the field of human relations."
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Responsibilities:
'
1.
To attempt to act as conciliators in controversies invoTv1conrnunity,
relations.
2.
To cooperate with Federal, State and,City agencies in developing
harmonious relations.
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3.
To cooperate in the development of educational programs dedicated to the
improvement of community relations with, and to enlist the support of civic,
religious, veterans, labor, industrial, commercial and eleemosynary groups;
and private agencies engaged in the inculcation of ideals of tolerance,
mutual respect and understanding.
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4.
To make studies, and to have studies made in the field of community
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relations, and to prepare and disseminate reports of such studies.
5.
e Board of County Comissiones such
To recommend to the Manager and tile mr
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ordinances as will aid in carrying out the purposes of this ordinance.
6.
To accept grants and donations on behalf of the County from foundations and
others for the purpose of carrying out the above functions, subject to
approval by the County Commission.
7.
To submit an annual report to the Manager and the Board of County Coninissioners.
Background:
Over the years, CRB has become a firmly established community agency upon which
all citizens have learned to depend for fair, impartial and effective action.
Whether it was addressing school desegregation, blockbusting, public accomodations,
discrimination in employment practices or the Liberty City, Brownsville, Opa Locka,
South Miami Civil Disturbances, they Ca11111unity Relations Board has been effective
in producing people to people partnerships, cooperating between organizations
and agencies, and negotiating they resolution of conflicts.
To promote these objectives the Community Relations Board has developed
a response system that is both prophylactic and crisis intervention
oriented.
Recognizing that frustrations, grievances, and conflicts are generated
when people perceive themselves to be without voice to challenge
bureaucratic decisions or power to change governmental systems, CRB
developed the system analysis process (Forum, Community Conferences,
Special Board Meetings).
To serve as ad hoc finding or solution -seeking bodies based upon research
and study of specifically targetted issues or areas of concern, CRB
utilizes action coiomittees. To investigate incidents and facilitate
solutions for individual citizens or groups of citizens, CRB employs
its conflict management mechanism. The final prophylactic process
used by CRB is the Kitchen Kabinet Konference. Composed of representa-
tives from different disciplines, the K.K.K. provides a clinical approach
to the resolution of conflict oriented community issues.
Crisis Response System:
On April 2, 1980, the County Manager in response to CRB's proposed
"Staff Mobilization Plan" directed all Department Heads "to identify those
individuals who have demonstrated their ability to deal with community
conflicts from an analytic and group process orientation." With this
memo the Crisis Response System that was utilized successfully by CRB
during the Republican and Democratic Conventions in 1972 on Miami Beach
was formalized and the individuals identified became part of CRB's
Crisis Response System. These individuals who possess conflict -negotiating
skills compatible with street issues are assigned to teams called X-Ray
units and are activated as a crisis situation evolves (See appendix for
Elements of Crisis).
Team Organization and Procedure
As was stated before, CRB believes that maximum effectiveness in crisis
intervention will be achieved by teams composed of from two (2) to
five (5) members under the direction of a team leader. Procedurally we
propose that:
1. The team leader should establish a field headquarters removed from
the immediate disturbance area yet within walking distance for team
members and equipped with couununication devices. Suggested sites
are schools, churches, government buildings, etc.
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2. The team leader should establish contact with the appropriate
law enforcement agency's leadership in order to: "`
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Team leader should assign team members toi
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Check the perimeter in order to determine
the impact of the
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disturbance upon the neighboring community/communities.`
b. Identify and communicate with leaders in order
to collect�
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intelligence and negotiate the conflict if
possible.
c. Mingle with the crowd for the purpose of
collecting intelligeh
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and negotiating conflicts.
ti
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d. Mobilize available civic and community leaders.
n . The team leader is responsible for maintaining constant communication
i with the central crisis center, for analyzing the situation and for
deciding when his team members should exit the ,area. (See appendix
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itTV:_(7ESPONSE ACTIVITIES Ig�30��1
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Established and activated CRB'S Crisis Respt►nsii Teams Ckt) during
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recent rumors of violence during the week of May 121 1981, aVoldiny a
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conununi ty disturbance.
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Activated CRT's at the request of the City Manager's Office of the
killing of a Black City Police Officer on September 2, 1981, which
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was instrumental in diffusing connunity tensions.
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Activated CRT's and Mobilized Community Resources before, and two
weeks after the May 17th, 1980, Civil Disturbance, thereby reducing the
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number of participants and serious injuries to residents and enforcement
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officers.
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Responded to and diffused hostile behavior and tensions following
interracial incidents at: American Senior High
Brownsville Junior High
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Carol City Senior High
Miami Springs Senior High
•
Monitored and diffused tensions during the Martin Luther King birthday
celebrations in 1980.
•
Diffused a potential riot situation that resulted from a confrontation
between a Metro Police Officer and two Carol City youths.
s
e e Diffused a potential riot situation that resulted from an eviction in the
Overtown area in July of 1981.
;{ • Provided ongoing response to daily requests from Metro P.D. to assist them
IF in conducting incident free evictions in the Overtown and surrounding areas.
i Following the assault on two (2) Southern Bell employees and the
subsequent cancellation of services in the Overtown area, the Community
Relations Board Mobilized Community and Agency Resources which resulted
in restoration of services in the area and a commitment from the residents
and the CRT to assist in eliminating the problem of battery on utility workers.
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PURPOSE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS t
0 THE E
ThI C3INr=t KONFEItCNCC
KHE„
KA
MCI
n.
} Wessional
clinic on community issues and problems.
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�r Example;
Developed a strategy acceptable to PSD, Sandlot
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and the community to relocate unauthorized
to Virginia Key.
disco from residential areas
Initiates a coordinated plan of action with a measurable outcome..
.'
ems Example:
The KKK conducted a series of four community based
in
inter-agency/community workshops which resulted
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the banning of discos from African Square Park and
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a conunitmentfrom t er
Mandgsecuority.
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locate City funds toeinproveant servicesCit
PY`oVides a non -confront al environment conducive to problem solving.
Example:
Following a mini -riot, the KKK facilitated negotiations
discuss
between the PSD and the Brownsville Community to
an alleged incident of police misconduct perceived to
-
have sparked the disorder.
Affords,Dade
County departments access to other governmental resources
on,a weekly
basis.
a
Example:
Eight Dade County departments participated in the
resolution of problems which resulted from a
shooting at Site 16 in Gwendolyn Cherry Gardens
development.
.------- -4: litnitad raenitrres.
Purpose and Accomplishments of the Kitchen Kabinet Konference - continued
► Catalyst for brainstorming proposals and/or ideas.
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Example: KKK participants discussed a possible "job -a -thou JARMIA
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proposal to promote youth summer employment Following) "
several previous Kabinet meetings at which predicted {5
problems in summer youth employment were identified.
Affords opportunity to validate rumors and/or assumptions.
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Example: The KKK is responsible for the development of a
,r County wide rumor control system. This system was
effective in diffusing panic caused by rumors of 8
related youth murders in the Culmer area.
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`W t Serves as a timely information network on current events. �f
Example: The KKK routinely provides an opportunity for
�3Sx participants to share relevant information about
=t unpublicized and spontaneous events which impact on `
anon T"ORMOW Dade County. J`
10► P00"Vides a base for assessing system and subsystem effectiveness.
9 Example: Addressed the issue of poor communication between " �•
PSO and MPO during dual jurisdictional operations.
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UQ professional attack on problems in high priority areas.
Example: Assisted health service agencies to develop a support
i system in the Model City area.FU
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i Investigate community complaints regarding different aspects of County
government and specific complaint reo police brutality, lack of services,
etc.
• Conduct weekly professional meetings with agencies having outreach
functions in an attempt to identify and analyze concerns that threaten
community stability (KKK).
Maintain liasion with organizations, departments, and agencies in order
to improve mutual communication and be more responsive and sensitive
to their needs and concerns.
Monitor community meetings impacting upon community relations to
establish a closer contact with those organizations and better
identify common concerns.
Identify community concerns by conducting community surveys, activities'
and by establishing contacts with key persons within the surveyed communities.
i Organize and implement Connnunity Orientation Seminars which would
expose selected participants to the environmental and general living
conditions of underprivileged areas and bring those who influence
public policy in direct contact with the idiosyncracies, multi-
cultural components and specific problems of Dade County.
Maintain a staff mobilization system through which effective and
expeditious attention could be given to comuumity concerns that may
escalate into community crisis (Crisis Response/Resource Mobilization`Systell
Request for assistance
Respond to community, individual, institutional law enforcement
and private enterprises' requests for assistance.
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Crisis Response/Resource Mobilization System
Staff - (salaries and fringes)
System Coordinator (Director of Crisis Response) $ 25,000
Overtown
1 Community Relations Specialist $ 21,000
2 Community Relations Aides 30,000
1 Secretary 12,000
Salary and fringes sub -total
63,000
Operational Expenses 9,575
Overtown Crisis Response Team Total $ 72,575
Liberty City/Little Haiti
r 2 Community Relations Specialist 42,000
6 Community Relations Aides 90,000
24,000 `
2 Secretarys =
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Salary and fringes sub -total 156,000
Operational Expenses 17,985
Liberty City/Little Haiti Criss
Response Team Total 163,985
Little Havana
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1 Community Relations Specialist 21,000
2 Community Relations Aides 30,000
1 Secretary 12,000
Salary and fringes sub -total 63,005
Operational Expenses
Little Havana Crisis Response Team Total $ 72,575
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$ 309,135 kk
TOTAL: "
4*=System Coordinator maintained on CRB. Table of Organi zat�on
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