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REGULAR MEETING June 8t", 2020
<br /> departments, reportsindicate that Minneapolis police used neck restraints, i.e. using an arm or leg
<br /> to compress a neck without directly putting pressure on the airway,at least two hundred and thirty-
<br /> seven (237) since the beginning of 2015, with at least forty-four (44) of the victims losing
<br /> consciousness; and, Whereas, despite recordings of Mr. Floyd's death having been replayed
<br /> innumerable times throughout the world leading to world-wide protests, a Seattle police officer
<br /> was recorded using a similar tactic on a protester until his knee was forcibly removed by another
<br /> officer while onlookers screamed "get your f*****g knee off his neck"; and, Whereas, this is the
<br /> second (211d) time in the past year that members of this Common Council have expressed
<br /> condolences to the family and friends of a Black man killed by a white police officer, the death of
<br /> Eric Logan on June 16, 2019,though tragic, did not draw global attention to America's problems,
<br /> in part, because Mr. Logan was killed in the middle of the night, in a dark parking lot, with no
<br /> witnesses or video to document what actually happened and the investigation of his death left
<br /> unanswered many questions in the minds of many people, unlike the public killing of Mr. Floyd,
<br /> in broad daylight, with several recordings and witnesses.
<br /> Councilmember Karen L. White, 1912 Malvern Way, South Bend, IN, served as a presenter for
<br /> this bill. Councilmember Karen L. White stated, And, Whereas, historical injustices and racial
<br /> disparities that have existed in our country for hundreds of years have led to many Black men
<br /> dying at the hands of white police officers in a system of policing in America that targets people
<br /> of color and which can be traced back to the long legacy of slavery, lynching, and Jim Crow laws;
<br /> and, Whereas, it is currently not only Black men, but also Black women and girls, as well as
<br /> Indigenous, Latinx and Asian communities who suffer from this shameful history; and, Whereas
<br /> the very public and brutal murder of Mr. Floyd has caused world-wide outrage because such
<br /> actions can no longer be willfully denied or ignorantly disregarded; and, Whereas, racial profiling
<br /> and excessive force,which includes shootings,brutal beatings, fatal chokings, and other excessive
<br /> abuses, are contrary to human decency,the inherent dignity of every individual, and the American
<br /> ideal of equal justice for all.
<br /> Councilmember Sharon L. McBride, 415 East Broadway Street, South Bend, IN, served as a
<br /> presenter for this bill. Councilmember Sharon L. McBride stated, Now, therefore, be it resolved
<br /> by the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana, as follows: Section One (I) The
<br /> Common Council expresses its deep and sincere condolences, not only to the family and friends
<br /> of Mr.Floyd,but also to the family and friends of all other such victims whose suffering is renewed
<br /> and intensified every time there is another family suffers a similar loss. Section Two (II) This
<br /> Common Council denounces in the strongest terms possible all acts of racial profiling, police
<br /> brutality and the use of excessive police force such as those that led to the deaths of Mr. Floyd and
<br /> many known and unknown other victims. More specifically, the Common Council calls for every
<br /> law enforcement agency or department to immediately adopt a goal of zero (0) deaths while
<br /> employing apprehension and detainment procedures which provide safe practices for both officers
<br /> and suspects. Section Three (III) The Common Council calls on each individual resident to
<br /> similarly condemn the actions leading to the death of Mr. Floyd and others like him. Section Four
<br /> (IV) The Common Council, recognizing the inherent dignity of every human person, renews its
<br /> unwavering commitment to the goal of equal treatment of all through not only the words,but more
<br /> importantly, the actions, of this legislative body. Section Five (V) That commitment is not only
<br /> established by past acts such as: last year allocating $180,000 for 21 CP Solutions to evaluate the
<br /> police department's policies and practices on the use of force,body-worn cameras,bias-informed
<br /> policing, accountability, and community engagement and participation, but also continuing and
<br /> future acts such as encouragement of implementation of 21 CP Solutions valid recommendations
<br /> by the Board of Public Safety and the South Bend Police Department, encouraging the adoption
<br /> of a fair and just matrix for exercising police discipline and the continued study and consideration
<br /> of a citizen review board to add community input into South Bend policing. Section Six (VI) The
<br /> Common Council not only invites, but also demands, that South Bend residents hold Council
<br /> members to this commitment and, further, encourages each resident to join in that commitment.
<br /> This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and
<br /> opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. There were none.
<br /> Councilmember Lori K. Hamann made a motion adopt Substitute Bill No. 20-16. Councilmember
<br /> Rachel Tomas Morgan seconded this motion which carried by a roll call vote of nine(9) ayes.
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