Oversight_Panel
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Oversight Panel Meeting
Wednesday, June 7, 2006
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
City Hall, Room 408
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
MINUTES
Members Present: Commissioner Dorka Keehn (Chair), Dr. Emily Murase - Department on the Status of Women, Jill Tregor - Greenbook Project, Marily Mondejar - Filipina Women's Network, Ken Theisen - Bay Area Legal Aid, Antonio Ramirez - POCOVI (at 9:20 am), Beverly Upton - San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium (at 9:25 am), Juana Flores - Mujeres Unidas y Activas (at 9:30 am)
Staff Present: Jennifer Baker - Department on the Status of Women, Alejandra Sosa-Siroka (translator)
I. Call to Order/Agenda Changes
The meeting was called to order by Chair Dorka Keehn at 9:05 am.
Agenda approved (Keehn/Theisen/Unanimous).
II. Approval of Minutes
Minutes from April 5, 2006 approved (Theisen/Tregor/Unanimous).
III. Business
A. Domestic Violence Safety and Accountability Audit
Dr. Trish Erwin, Safety Audit Coordinator, reported to the Panel on the status of the Safety & Accountability Audit. Dr. Erwin reviewed the project schedule and reported on her plan to assemble three audit groups devoted to 911/emergency response, felony investigation, and the motion to revoke process.
In addition, Dr. Erwin reported on recent meetings held with Department heads, including District Attorney Kamala Harris, who was enthusiastic about the Audit but cautious about staff limitations, and Public Defender Jeff Adachi, whose office will not be participating in the Audit but who has been invited to be a part of an Audit focus group. Meetings are scheduled in late June with Adult Probation Acting Chief Art Faro and Emergency Communications Acting Director Pam Katz. These meetings will conclude with a Video Conference with Department Heads and Dr. Ellen Pence of Praxis International on June 23. Panel members were invited to attend and participate.
Dr. Erwin directed Panel members to consult their packets for a letter from Mayor Newsom sent to all Department heads on May 22, 2006 urging their participation in and support of the Safety Audit.
B. Domestic Violence Training Institute
Dr. Murase reported that the Department received and signed the $200,000 grant award contract from the Blue Shield Foundation and that an Accept and Expend Resolution has been submitted to the Board of Supervisors for their approval. Upon review of the grant, the Budget Analyst has requested that the grant award include indirect costs. Dr. Murase reported that the Department prepared a budget modification which includes 12.5% for administrative overhead and is awaiting response from the Blue Shield of California Foundation, as well as feedback from Blue Shield on the grant proposal addendum submitted in March.
C. Maria Bee, Chief of Victim Services Division, Office of the District Attorney
Maria Bee spoke to the Panel about her recent appointment as Chief of the Victim Services Division of the Office of the District Attorney. Ms. Bee reported on the priorities of the Victim Services Division, including a heightened focus on crime in the Bayview/Hunter's Point and Visitacion Valley communities. In addition, Ms. Bee reported that she wants to increase outreach to victims' families for counseling in cases that are not prosecuted.
The Panel noted that they look forward to working with Ms. Bee in her new role and urged her to think of the Panel as an advocacy resource in the future.
D. Victim Notification System
Susan Fahey of the Sherriff's Department provided the Panel with field arrest statistics from April 2006 in response to questions raised at the April Oversight Panel Meeting. After discussion among Panel members, however, Ms. Fahey noted that these numbers may not accurately portray the number of domestic violence related arrests since arrests that are primarily and directly domestic violence related do not always, if ever, have the "DV related" box checked. To compensate, Ms. Fahey agreed to work with Captain Marsha Ashe of the Police Department and the Emergency Communications Department, as necessary, to pull together numbers that provide a more accurate overview of felony arrests (Ms. Ashe noted that misdemeanor arrests may be more difficult to track). The Panel agreed to devote time at the August Meeting to reviewing these new statistics.
E. FY 06/07 Budget Update
Dr. Murase thanked Ms. Upton and Commissioner Keehn for their hard work securing $800,000 in supplemental funding for violence prevention agencies. Ms. Upton added that the domestic violence community will be advocating before the Board of Supervisors, which identified anti-violence programs as a budget priority, for a 25% increase over current funding levels for domestic violence agencies in FY 06/07.
At the Panel's request, Dr. Murase agreed to draft a letter of support from the Panel to the Board of Supervisors regarding the FY 06/07 Adult Probation Department budget. Dr. Murase agreed to note in this letter the need for full staffing of the Department and to highlight the links between Adult Probation and violence against women and the work of the Justice & Courage Project.
F. Justice & Courage Strategic Plan
The Panel discussed the Justice & Courage 2005 - 2006 Strategic Plan as prepared at a September 2005 Community Meeting. The Panel decided to convene another meeting in the community for this year's strategic plan in October 2006 to correspond with Domestic Violence Awareness month, the 6 year anniversary of the murder of Claire Joyce Tempongko, and the conclusion of the Safety & Accountability Audit. The Panel will devote 1 hour of the August Panel meeting to discuss planning and logistics for this meeting.
G. Ethnic Media Roundtable
After discussion, the Panel agreed to postpone the Hispanic Ethnic Media Roundtable until July 26, 2006, from 8:30 - 10:00 am, in order to allow more time for planning and coordination.
The Panel would like to invite representation from the Business community and asked the Department to include the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in their outreach efforts leading up to the roundtable. In addition, Ms. Mondejar suggested the Department contact the San Francisco Chronicle to see if the Panel might partner with them on launch of their new Spanish Podcasting Project.The Panel agreed to a pre-meeting planning conference call on July 6, 2006, at 3:00 pm to discuss logistics.
H. API-VAWA Grant Status
Dr. Murase reported that the API-VAWA grant currently funded by the Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women, will not be renewed past its September 30, 2006 expiration. Dr. Murase added, however, that the Justice & Courage Policy Analyst position funded by the grant has been transferred to the General Fund and will continue past the expiration of the grant.
IV. Reports
A. Protocol Committee Report
In Committee Chair Sally Pina's absence, Mr. Theisen reported that the Protocol Committee is nearing completion of a draft progress report on the status of implementation of Justice and Courage recommendations. Mr. Theisen noted that the Committee reviewed a draft of the progress report during two meetings in May and will meet for a final time on Wednesday, July 12 at 1:30 pm to review the draft. Dr. Erwin added that the final progress report can be used as a tool to inform the focus of the Safety & Accountability Audit teams.
B. Resources Committee Report
Captain Ashe reported that the Resources Committee would meet for a final time on Tuesday, June 20 at 12:00N. Dr. Murase thanked Captain Ashe and the Committee for their hard work and dedication over many years and noted their several accomplishments in recent months, including funds for the Safety Audit, the Blue Shield Foundation grant, and the $800,000 supplemental appropriation.
Captain Ashe also reported that in the Fall, a Curriculum Committee will be formed to address the work of the upcoming Cross-Training Institute. The Panel agreed to discuss the new Committee at its Strategic Planning Meeting in October.
C. JUSTIS Report
Dr. Murase reported that JUSTIS should be fully implemented by January 2007. At a meeting on Thursday, June 8, 2006, the JUSTIS Council will discuss moving some of the oversight of the project from the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, which is currently understaffed, back to the Department of Telecommunications and Information Services. Commissioner Keehn asked Dr. Murase to follow-up with her following this meeting.
V. Announcements
VI. Public Comment
There was no public comment.
VII. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 11:10 pm.
