RICHMOND — Reimagining the city’s emergency response system has been a goal for years. Now, a recent council decision could help move that process forward.
Since June 2020, Richmond has been committing resources toward developing an alternative response team to respond to low-level emergencies and behavioral health issues. Just a month earlier, news of the police killing of George Floyd, a Black Minneapolis man, sent shockwaves throughout the nation, sparking major protests in cities, including many in the Bay Area.
Richmond was one of multiple Bay Area cities to consider new approaches to policing in response to concerns from community members and budget worries among councilmembers. Oakland launched its Reimagining Public Safety Taskforce in 2020, Berkeley adopted reforms in 2021 and multiple jurisdictions in San Mateo County partnered on a program that deployed mental health professionals on some emergency calls.
Years have passed since Richmond first began pursuing its Community Crisis Response Program, officially known as Reach Out with Compassion and Kindness. Commonly referred to as ROCK, it was modeled after the Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets program out of Eugene, Oregon.
The city allocated $1 million to the effort. Urban Strategies Council, a research nonprofit, was selected in 2022 to conduct a feasibility study and write an implementation report. Both were delivered in 2023. In 2024, a program manager and an associate administrative analyst were hired and a job description for a community intervention specialist was approved by the Personnel Board.
But a recent battle over which union should represent future community intervention specialists, who would be unarmed emergency service providers, has held up the process.
Human Resources Director Sharrone Taylor determined the position should fall within the SEIU Local 1021 General Employees Bargaining Unit, which represents 60,000 employees across northern California.
Meanwhile, the Richmond Police Officers Association has asserted the roles would more sensibly fall within their unit given that the position would be taking tasks from the police department, they’d be working closely with sworn officers and will likely need protections unique to the police officers association.
The city council was tasked with resolving the dispute during an April 22 meeting after the Richmond Police Officers Association filed an official appeal of Taylor’s decision.
“The (police officers association) is not against having ROCK,” said Richmond Police Officer’s Association President Ben Therriault. “The bottom line is those folks are going to be out there. … We will be able to protect them on a legal defense fund status. We will be able to provide them with the Peace Officers Bill of Rights protections that they would not normally get but we would afford that to them.”
Taylor stood by her determination, arguing the role would more efficiently be incorporated into existing SEIU agreements and had responsibilities resembling other non-sworn law enforcement positions, like code enforcement that are not represented by the Richmond Police Officers Association.
Placing the position under SEIU representation would signal to the community that the role would be to provide non-punitive services, Taylor said.
“Although the police department and RPOA are doing a wonderful job in their community policing model providing services to our community, it’s imperative to retain a distinction between their services and function and those of the CCRP, now known as ROCK,” Taylor said.
Kevin Tisdale, a code enforcement officer and president of the Richmond’s SEIU chapter, and multiple members of the Community Crisis Response Program Advisory Board agreed with Taylor’s findings and called on the council to reject the association’s appeal of Taylor’s decision.
Councilmembers ultimately sided with Taylor, rejecting the Richmond Police Officer Association’s appeal and placing the position under SEIU Local 1021 representation but not before Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda and Councilmember Jamelia Brown said they’d like to see program details further worked out.
“I do believe that the intent of this person is to be with the community, so I will support tonight this position being with the SEIU,” Brown said. “But I’m hoping that we can clarify what the community feels versus the intention that Ms. Taylor laid out that there will be police integration and that this is a bridge building opportunity and not an opportunity to deepen the divide.”
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Richmond’s civilian emergency response program clears hurdle )
Also on site :
- Michael J. Fox Fans Send Love After Rare Appearance Using Wheelchair
- James B. Milliken, University of Texas chancellor, named University of California president
- Aldi's Stylish $19 Cast Aluminum Pan is Back in Stock and Guaranteed to Sell Out Fast