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CITY OFSOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK
<br /> Mr. Horvath replied, Yeah. And I've got a brochure I'll get out to you guys.
<br /> Councilmember Dr. Davis stated, I appreciate it, Sir.
<br /> Mr. Horvath stated, But I hear you one hundred percent(100%), like there's, unfortunately, we all
<br /> know the demands here. And there's only so much. Each allocation you have, I'm sure you have
<br /> ten(10)times the amount of requests than you have funding.
<br /> Councilmember Dr. Davis stated, I'm at peace. I'm good.
<br /> Committee Chair White stated, I'm going to ask for an additional five (5) minutes. We've gone
<br /> over on our time, but I'm going to ask Mrs. Brooks to come and speak with regard to the disparity
<br /> study, the purpose, the value, and the overall role of the study, but also in regard to your role in
<br /> terms of recruitment and the relationship with the Police Department.
<br /> Ms. Brooks stated, Yes, thank you Council. One (1) of the challenges to diversity and inclusion
<br /> work is that many, when they embark on this journey, have a very specific idea of what success
<br /> looks like for diversity and inclusion and that in many cases it's very visual. And without really
<br /> looking at some of the underlying issues that create disparities in diverse workforces and,not only
<br /> in the recruitment of ethnically and racially diverse candidates,but also the retention of such.
<br /> She continued, So what I'd like to do is address the fact that as one (1) part of my role with the
<br /> City of South Bend that covered not only workplace, workforce, community purchasing,
<br /> contracting, small, local, minority, women, Section Three (3) HUD Zone, Business of Veteran,
<br /> disabled business, enterprise development, and also oversight of the Human Rights Commission.
<br /> When I began working with the South Bend Police Department,there had been a thorough review
<br /> of the department itself and I did my own review and spoke with officers about some of the
<br /> underlying issues to recruitment for ethnically and racially diverse candidates and the retention of
<br /> such. And so based on those conversations, as a diversity and inclusion and equity practitioner, I
<br /> set about creating a strategic plan that would first(1st)address the underlying issues and the internal
<br /> environment issues before we embarked on trying to do the quick and, what some people would
<br /> coin, the sexy in activity, which is just fill up the seats, fill up the cars, with people with color,
<br /> without addressing the real issues that were underlying it.
<br /> She went on, And so, as part of that process, it started with the Climate Survey and we took the
<br /> temperature internally of the officers that were currently on staff. And based on their feedback,
<br /> there was a lack of transparency on promotions and how officers became eligible for open
<br /> positions, and also how officers would be eligible to move up or into different departments. And
<br /> so to address that, we created a staff performance evaluation system, which is really not normal
<br /> for public safety offices. Generally if they do exist, they're very basic. But to address the needs of
<br /> the officers here in the City of South Bend, we really took our time in developing and asking for
<br /> their input as to what they needed and what they wanted to see in a staff performance evaluation
<br /> system, and we designed that staff performance evaluation system. Additionally, we created a
<br /> career path development system, and all of this was created in-house. We didn't buy an off-the-
<br /> shelf system which would have cost the City hundreds of thousands of dollars.This was something
<br /> that was created on a laptop in my office. And so that system now serves as the City's staff
<br /> performance evaluation system, with the Police Department being the pilot department that
<br /> EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT
<br /> 455 County-City Building 227W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 TTD 574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov
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