Civil Rights Fee urges Davenport aldermen take policing reforms ‘severely’ | Native Information

Karp continued, “If this sad … option occurs, the whole country will be on fire, and rightly so, including this community … because we have not been able to make change or make significant changes.” . “

“We have to give the city council another chance to take this seriously,” said Karp.

The commission agreed to send a letter to Davenport Mayor Mike Matson asking for a working group made up of members of the Davenport Civil Rights Commission and the City Council along with Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski , “to examine the recommendation carefully and see how we can turn it into positive, positive action in our community,” said Karp.

Davenport City Council and the Civil Rights Commission held a joint working meeting in September to discuss issues related to police funding, bail reform, civil oversight of the Davenport Police Department and decriminalization of minor nonviolent crime.

Some, such as bail reform and decriminalizing minor marijuana and other “low-level” crimes, require changes to state law and have been viewed as non-starters and outside the jurisdiction of the city council.

Other recommendations – including reallocating some police resources to increase the availability of mental health, substance abuse and homelessness to relieve officials making calls that require intervention and advice rather than law enforcement; and the creation of a civil committee to review complaints of police misconduct and a separate, independent committee to review police policy did not spark any further discussion.