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HomeMy WebLinkAboutapplicationCIp CIVILIAN INVESTIGATIVE PANEL To: From: Date: Subject: References: Enclosures: Priscilla A. Thompson, City Clerk Office of the City Clerk hirley E. Richardson, Executive Director an Investigative Panel August 9, 2007 Request for Board Appointment Civilian Investigative Panel (CIP) -.r N Attached please find an application and biography for Susan Weintraub, the Civilian Investigative Panel's nominee to fill a membership position vacated by Tanya Brinkley. Request is hereby made for this item to be considered at the September 11, 2007 Commission meeting. Should you require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at (305) 579-2444. SER/bm L,,(Y of f• � �+� II / APR 16 2007_ OF MIAMI CIVILIAN TIGATIVE PANEL PANEL (CIP) no later than 5:00 p.m., April, 16, 2007. CITY CIVILIAN INVESTIGATIVE APPLICATION Application must be received or postmarked NAME: DOB: M F Susan Lisabet Weintraub 1.14-63 X CONTACT NUMBERS: EVENING: FAX: (305)445-0676 w DAY: (305) 445-0676 w (305y 445-7205 h (305y 445-7205 h (305) 776-6622 c (305) 776-8522 c HOME ADDRESS: CITY: STATE: ZIP: 3051 Center Street Miami Florida 33133 MAILING ADDRESS (if different): CITY: STATE: ZIP: P.O Box 331048 Miami Florida 33233 E-MAIL (Optional): Susie.weintraubegmaiLcom 1. Do you reside, own real property, work, or maintain a business in the City of Miami? X Yes No. If yes, Address: 3051 Center Street, Miami, Florida 33133 Telephone Number: 305 445-7205 2. Are you, your spouse or any immediate family member (children, parents, siblings) currently employed by the City of Miami? Yes X No 3. Have you, your spouse, or any immediate family member ever been a swom employee of the City of Miami Police Department? Yes X No 4. Are you currently a party or a party's legal representative in any litigation against the City of Miami? Yes X No 5. Do you have a record of a felony conviction? Yes X No 6. What aspect of your life and/or work experience has prepared you for membership on the CIP? (You may attach up to a one -page response.) See Attached Page 7. Why do you wish to serve on the CIP? (You may attach up to a one -page response.) See Attached Page 8. List any organizations with which you are affiliated and position(s)/office(s) held. (You may attach a separate sheet or resume, if necessary.) ORGANIZATION: POSITION: Miami Bridge Youth and Family Services Vice President Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Program Service Committee Black Archives Board of Directors Guardian ad Litem Outreach Coordinator (employee), Court Advocate (employee) and volunteer Children's Trust Leadership Council, Grant Evaluation Team member CERTIFICATE OF APPLICATION (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE SIGNING) 1 hereby certify that all the statements made in this application are true and correct. By signing this application, I authorize verification of my background record solely for use by the CIP Nominating Committee to conduct reviews and provide final recommendations to the City of Miami Commission. Signature: W Date: April 15, 2007 Question 6: What aspect of your life and/or work experience has prepared you for membership on the CIP? Because of my position as Outreach Coordinator for the Guardian ad Litem program, I have had a unique opportunity to understand our community and legal system. Specifically trained to advocate for the best interest of abused, abandoned and neglected children, I have been a voice on behalf of our most vulnerable citizens. I have been prepared for possible membership on the CIP through the skills that I have developed as volunteer and employee of the Guardian ad Litem program, my awareness of community issues, my commitment to community service, and my conviction that this panel is an essential resource to the citizens of Miami -Dade. My work as volunteer Guardian ad Litem was that of a 'fact finder' which required extensive review of court documents, records, reports and evaluations for the purpose of making recommendations. My case work crossed all cultural lines and economic divisions and brought me face to face with mental illness, drug addiction and other issues such as homelessness, immigration, and poverty. Because these problems often lead to intervention by police officers, I have become more aware of the necessity for police to develop additional training and skills in order to handle citizens with special needs, for instance children, adolescents, the mentally ill and drug addicts. While the vulnerability of these groups varies, the need to rely on the department in crisis situations remains the same. Because of this many caretakers are reluctant to call the police on such occasions, fearing that their loved ones will be mishandled. Their refusal to abdicate authority to the police is a Hobson's choice, a choice between two undesirable options_ But it need not be so. In having access to large groups of adolescents who have dealt with the police and/or the court system (delinquents, status offenders, CINS-FINS, homeless and at risk youth), I have become aware of the challenge of restoring the community's confidence. Many dependent youth have parents or siblings that have been incarcerated. They have developed longstanding and intractable feelings of animosity toward the police that are exacerbated by their own dealings with the department. For example, the under -publicized action of discourteous and rude behavior by police officers has caused some of these youths to feel `disrespected', `bullied' and `targeted'. Feeling victimized and abused, with no means to redress their grievances, they become more firmly fixed in their adversarial relationship with the police. I have lived in Coconut Grove for most of my life and have always been sensitive to the strained relationship between the police and different cultural and ethnic groups in our community. I believe that the only way to eliminate police abusiveness is to vigorously check and monitor each complaint. I am deeply committed to finding a solution to problems that have had such a destructive effect upon us. Question 7: Why do you wish to serve on the CIP? As a lifelong citizen, and fourth generation Miamian, I recognize how difficult it is to change perceptions about any institution within our community, and the Miami -Dade Police Department may prove to be more challenging than most. There are decades' worth of serious complaints and grievances against the police department that have fostered and fortified the negative opinions that are held by so many of our citizens today. Serving on the CIP would be an opportunity to take part in the innovative process that both recognizes the victimized and restores the community's confidence in the police department. The corrective action based on recommendations made by this panel is a powerful agent of change. The amount of information that can be gathered from review of these complaints holds potential to track such trends as abusive behavior by the police and identify malicious and frivolous complaints against the same. It is necessary, therefore, that these complaints be made. The panel must be promoted and become a well known name in order to carry outs its mission within the community. Through my work with the Guardian ad Litem program, contacts with the Children's Trust and current board work with the Miami Bridge and Black Archives, I believe that I can reach portions of our community that would benefit greatly from this resource. My capacity for appreciating what it is to be vulnerable and in need extends beyond the children I advocate for. I am well aware of how difficult it is for even the most competent adult to negotiate our legal system. When such factors as fear, cultural barriers, mental illness or questionable immigration status are considered, many individuals will not or cannot file a complaint. I would like to be part of the process that recognizes these limitations and works to fmd a solution to this problem. I firmly believe in the necessity of this oversight board and am eager to dedicate my time, energy and enthusiasm to it. To serve along side the other panel members, would give me the chance to right current wrongs, challenge long standing beliefs, and influence future events. With no agenda or affiliation, this panel has the ability to make profound changes in our community and I wish to be a part of that process. SUSAN L. WEINTRAUB 3051 CENTER STREET, COCONUT GROVE FLORIDA 33133 PHONE (305) 445-7205 HOME OR (305) 776-6522 CELL • E-MAIL St"SIEWE:INTRXC"I3("c T IO.BLACKBERRY.NET SUSIE.`ti'EINTR.\UB(i:iG JAIL.COM WORK EXPERIENCE 2007 to present Guardian Ad Litem Outreach Coordinator, 11" Judicial District 2004-2007 Guardian Ad Litem Transitioning Youth Project Outreach Coordinator • Facilitator of the Independent Living Coordinators Team Meetings for the 11 " judicial District 2005- 2007 • Transition to Adulthood System Redesign Team • Housing Committee • Mentoring and Employment Committee • Creation of programming foryouth aging out of can Miami, Florida Miami Florida Miami, Florida 2003-2004 Guardian Ad Litem Court Advocate 2002-2003 Books and Books, Inc. Coral Gables, Florida 1990-1991 United Way of Dade County Miami, Florida Intern in Strategic Planning and Marketing COMMUNITY SERVICE 2007 to present Vice President Board of Directors, Miami Bridge Youth and Family Services 2007 to present Executive Committee, Miami Bridge Youth and Family Services 2006 to present Board of Directors, Miami Bridge Youth and Family Services 2006 to present Program Service Committee, Miami Bridge 2006 to present Board of Directors, Black Archives 2006 to present Children's Trust Grant Evaluation Team Member 2005-2006 2003-2004 HONORS Children's Trust Transition to Adulthood Leadership Council Guardian ad Litem, Volunteer Guardian 2006 2006 1989 1982 Award of Distinction for Leadership, Innovative Efforts and Exceptional commitment to foster youth from the program "It's Your Life" created by Judge Beth Bloom Award of Appreciation from Leadership Miami, a program of the Greater Chamber of Commerce Provost Honor Roll and Dean's list, University of Miami Bowman Foster Ashe, Academic Scholarship, University of Miami