Council approves JAG equipment funding; residents press for crisis de-escalation training and civilian review

Council on Wednesday passed an ordinance accepting an $88,823 Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) for police equipment (official file ordinance 522026). The ordinance passed unanimously.

During public comment, several residents and crisis workers asked council and police leadership to prioritize mental-health and crisis-deescalation training, questioned enforcement of take-home cruiser policies, and pressed for creation or funding of a civilian review mechanism.

Julia Jacobs, who said she works as a crisis worker, told council she was surprised that homicide training was cited as being delivered quarterly while de-escalation and mental-health training were not highlighted in the police budget presentation. "If we're delivering homicide training four times a year, maybe we can squeeze in one time a year a de-escalation mental health training," Jacobs said, urging the department to expand preventative and behavioral programming.

Mayor Develin said the mayor’s council on community safety and trust has formed a subcommittee that will plan a policing town hall and that the town hall should occur by late October or early November; she said the town-hall format will provide opportunity for feedback on training, take-home vehicle policies and civilian oversight.

The JAG appropriation funds equipment purchases and was presented by Council member Horton; council approved the ordinance 7–0 on final passage.