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Q&A
Council Member Brewer inquires about CCRB mediation and protest handling
3:51:32
ยท
4 min
Council Member Gale A. Brewer engages in a Q&A session with CCRB representatives, focusing on the agency's mediation processes and handling of protests. The discussion covers the effectiveness of mediation, recent protest-related complaints, and changes in how mediation cases are managed.
- CCRB received approximately 45 complaints related to protests after October 7, 2023, significantly fewer than during the 2020 protests.
- The agency has implemented changes to improve the efficiency of the mediation process, including taking full statements from civilians before mediation.
- Council Member Brewer expresses support for tying CCRB's budget to a percentage of another agency's budget, similar to the Independent Budget Office (IBO).
Gale A. Brewer
3:51:32
My question is about the mediation and also about, I believe, we have more protests.
3:51:42
So in terms of mediation, how is that occurring?
3:51:45
And then second, in terms of the protests, will there be more?
3:51:49
That's always been something that you've had to deal with in the past.
3:51:52
Obviously, more staff will be helpful.
3:51:55
Can you just talk about those two issues?
Dr. Mohammad Khalid
3:51:59
Madam Councilwoman, we do have a mediation unit, and not every case is become a mediation, case, but we we work very hard on that to see if we can bring two parties together without going further.
3:52:22
As far as the protest, I guess that period was John was a little before that I joined.
3:52:31
So
Jonathan Darche
3:52:35
doctor Khalid, the the protests that occurred after October seventh of twenty twenty three were have have resulted in approximately 45 complaints, some on campus and some off campus.
3:53:01
It is a far cry from the the level of complaints resulting from protests in 2020.
Gale A. Brewer
3:53:09
George Floyd.
3:53:10
Yeah.
Jonathan Darche
3:53:10
And we've been monitoring them.
3:53:13
We as late as yesterday, we were we had known there was protest activity and police arrest, but so far we've received no complaints from what happened last week.
Gale A. Brewer
3:53:24
Interesting.
3:53:25
Okay.
3:53:25
Because I know there was something in the daily news today.
3:53:27
Maybe you'll hear about it.
3:53:29
My question then, just back to mediation, what's the percentage, or is there one, as to how many are mediation and how many not?
3:53:36
Is that a useful tool?
Jonathan Darche
3:53:39
So mediation is a useful tool.
3:53:43
I will pull the statistic for you and get it to you.
3:53:45
It it is a small number for the for the total number of complaints that we investigate because we think it's important that it be voluntary on the part of both the civilian and the member of service so that people are coming in with the right state of mind to engage in the mediation process.
3:54:12
One of the things that we have changed in how mediation works is we now take statements from the civilian, full statements, before we send the case to mediation.
3:54:25
So if the case is not successfully mediated, we can continue with the investigation.
3:54:30
And we have really been watching how long cases stay in the mediation unit, and our current director of the mediation unit, Caroline Hanna, has done a really, really good job of making sure cases don't languish in the mediation unit because what can happen is you are trying to mediate a case, it doesn't work out, and then it is old and you can't investigate it.
Michael McMahon
3:54:59
Got it.
Jonathan Darche
3:55:00
And so the steps we've taken now may have slightly reduced the numbers of successful mediations, but they allow the remaining, the unsuccessful mediations to be properly investigated.
Gale A. Brewer
3:55:13
Got it.
3:55:13
Okay.
3:55:14
And then just finally, just so you know, I testified at the Speaker's Charter Revision last night in support of 1% or whatever for you to be tied to an agency.
3:55:23
And also, like IBO is.
3:55:26
And I intend to do the same at the mayor's charter revision commission.
3:55:29
So thank you very much.
Jumaane Williams
3:55:31
Thank you, council member.