At the March 17 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission meeting, Police Chief Pete Caw answered questions from the Commission regarding training, hiring practices, policies, presence in schools, and hate crimes. The Chief invited Commissioners to participate in tours of the Police Station and join officers on patrol when social distancing is eased. The Commission also discussed with Chief Caw various approaches to increasing positive interactions between police and the community.
In responding to questions about hiring for diversity, City Manager Scott Hugill outlined the process the city follows, including written and physical tests, interviews, background checks and a review and approval of both the process and the ranked list of applicants by the city’s Civil Service Commission. He added that while the city can make minor changes to its practices, many of the substantial processes that may be barriers to more candidates are governed by the state’s civil service laws covering police recruitment. City Manager Hugill said the city has a more diverse Civil Service Commission than it had in recent years, and interview panels must have taken implicit bias training. He added that the city is open to ideas about where and how to advertise to increase the number of applicants and achieve a more diverse pool of candidates.
The Commission also shared their key takeaways from the listening sessions held March 3 and 6; comments from those participating in the sessions included applying a social lens to the city’s policies and programs, expanding outreach efforts to find those who are not comfortable speaking in person or online, providing information on how the city works, utilizing anonymous feedback resources such as an online form or printed comment cards, and evaluating the platforms the city uses to share information and receive input to ensure a broad range of the community has access to information.
The Commission’s Outreach Subcommittee will be meeting with city staff to explore ideas for better outreach and engagement.
The city’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission meets on the third Wednesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m. Their next meeting will be Wednesday, April 21. For more information, visit the Commission’s webpage at www.cityofmlt.com/2084 or feel free to email them at cityhall@mltwa.gov. We look forward to hearing from you!
###