JUSTICE & COURAGE PROJECT
OVERSIGHT PANEL MEETING
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
MINUTES
Members Present:
Commissioner Dorka Keehn (Chair)
Kathy Black- La Casa de las Madres
Allyson Hauck
Marily Mondehar – Filipina Women’s Network
Dr. Emily Murase – Department on the Status of Women
Antonio Ramirez – POCOVI
Ken Theisen – Bay Area Legal Aid
Beverly Upton –San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium
Mary Cavanaugh – U.C. Berkeley
Members Absent:
Juana Flores – Mujeres Unidas y Activas
Guests
Anna Sop, Department of Emergency Management
Minouche Kandel, Bay Area Legal Aid
Noga Firstenberg, Bay Area Legal Aid
Capt. Marsha Ashe, San Francisco Police Department
Laura Vocke, Bay Area Legal Aid
Staff Present: Jill Tregor – Department on the Status of Women
I. CALL TO ORDER/AGENDA CHANGES ACTION
The meeting was called to order by Chair Dorka Keehn at 9:11 am. Agenda approved (Theisen/Upton/Unanimous).
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Minutes from the meeting of April 2, 2008 approved. (Theisen/Upton/Unanimous)
III. BUSINESS
A. Domestic Violence Response Cross-Training Institute
DOSW Administrative Analyst Laura Marshall reported that as of yesterday the 9th Session of Year 2 is completed, and there is only one session left. All departments except for the Sheriff’s Department have already met or exceeded their Memorandum of Understanding goals. Many stakeholders have been invited to attend the Institute to see for themselves what the sessions are like. So far, Lisa Hoffman of the Department of Emergency Management, Tina Gilbert of the Adult Probation Department, Deputy Chief David Shinn of San Francisco Police Department, and Judge Mary Morgan of the Superior Court have all attended. Judge Morgan had the highest praise for the Institute and wrote to her colleagues encouraging them to attend. Ms. Marshall extended a special thanks to Captain Ashe of San Francisco Police Department, and Anna Sop of the Department of Emergency Management for their roles in supporting the Institute. She also reported that, with Judge Morgan’s encouragement, the Institute has reached out to the Public Defender. Someone from the Public Defender’s office will attend the final training session. Panel Chair Keehn noted that it will be important to ensure that all training material is appropriate for both District Attorneys and Public Defenders, and asked that the Panel be kept informed about any foundations/funding sources that are approached, as Panel members may have contacts that could be helpful.
Blue Shield can not continue to fund the Institute, due to policies that prohibit grant renewal. Therefore, the Department on the Status of Women is working on developing strategies to continue the Institute, with a grant writer working on identifying funding opportunities. So many significant people are supportive of the training, which should be helpful. Ms. Marshall estimates that it would cost $175 per participant if each department were to pay for their staff to go through the training, and noted that it would not take long to get the Institute up and running again once we identify new funding.
B. Governance Committee
Oversight Panel Chair Keehn reported that the Governance Committee is developing a list of potential candidates to reach out to in order to assess interest and potential for membership on the Oversight Panel. The next term for the Panel begins in January of 2009. Mr. Ramirez reminded the group of the importance of insuring that Oversight Panel membership is inclusive and multi-cultural, in order to involve the multiplicity of perspectives within domestic violence. The next meeting of the Committee is June 24, 2008.
C. Media Committee
Mr. Theisen reported that the Committee has not had success in arranging for a meeting with the Editorial board of the Chronicle. The Panel discussed the possibility of reaching out to the City Editor instead. Ms. Tregor was asked to draft a letter to the City Editor requesting such a meeting. Ms. Hauck is drafting a template article about Justice & Courage issues for the ethnic media. The Committee is particularly concerned that it be prepared for the trial of Tari Ramirez, the accused killer of Claire Joyce Tempongko, when it begins in the fall. The Domestic Violence Consortium has requested that Henry Lee of the Chronicle be assigned to cover the trial.
The Committee’s next meeting is July 2, 2008 by conference call, and Ms. Tregor will let people know what the call-in phone number is. Ms. Keehn will make further attempts to contact Mr. Parker at the Chronicle to arrange a meeting with the Editorial Board.
D. Audit Implementation Committee
Mr. Theisen announced that although he is the temporary Chair of this Committee, the Committee is seeking a permanent Chair or Co-Chairs. Mr. Theisen reported that at the Committee’s last meeting the Adult Probation Department (APD) gave a report on their progress with implementation of the Safety Audit’s recommendations, and that the report was “excellent”. The Committee shared information with APD about the benefits of conducting lethality assessments (as recommended in the Safety Audit), and with Minouche Kandel’s help gave information to APD about Jacquie Campbell’s lethality assessment tool, and Sonoma County’s Probation Department’s tool. APD reported that their domestic violence caseload is currently completely covered by staff. APD has instituted a number of new policies to improve oversight of domestic violence probationers, including insuring that each batterer intervention program is notified when a batterer is referred to their program. APD is also restarting the Batterer Intervention Program – Community Advisory Committee (BIP-CAC). Several years ago BIP-CAC made several hundred recommendations to APD regarding ways to increase batterer accountability, and Ms. Gilbert of APD wants to implement those as soon as possible.
The Committee is taking up the question of Audit recommendations that cross several departments, with the intention of identifying the process of implementation for each one.
The Committee has not yet had an update on Audit recommendation implementation from the Police Department. Capt. Ashe, a guest at the meeting, stated that she would follow up with the SFPD about getting an update on implementation progress.
Captain Ashe is retiring from the Police Department and her last day at work is June 13, 2008. On Thursday, June 12, 2008 there will be a gathering to celebrate her career and retirement, at the Flower Mart Restaurant at 6th/Brannon. Captain Ashe thanked the Department on the Status of Women and stated that, “Working with the Department was the highlight of my career.” Commissioner Keehn thanked Capt. Ashe for how accessible she had made the Police Department for the Oversight Panel.
E. Batterer Accountability Committee
This newly established committee will meet for the first time on June 11, 2008 at 2pm at 25 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco CA. The Committee will determine its goals and membership at that time. Mr. Ramirez stated that he was concerned that batterer intervention programs were not currently accountable to the community, to domestic violence survivors, or to Adult Probation. It is his hope that the new Committee can address these issues.
Several members of the Oversight Panel attended a meeting with Judge Morgan recently regarding her interest in creating either a course for batterers about parenting, or curriculum within current programs about parenting. The group that met with the Judge agreed to work to offer training for all current batterer intervention program facilitators about parenting, child witnessing of domestic violence, and mandated reporting of child abuse. Ms. Upton stated that it was clear that most batterer intervention program facilitators did not know how to handle parenting issues. Mr. Ramirez suggested to Judge Morgan that the group conduct a survey of facilitators of their knowledge regarding parenting and child abuse.
IV. REPORTS
A. Meeting with San Francisco Police Department
Ms. Upton reported on the recent quarterly meeting with the Police Department. Although Chief Fong was expected to attend, she was called away at the last minute due to budget hearings at City Hall. Deputy Chief Shinn met with the group instead. Topics and agreements included:
1. Deputy Chief Shinn agreed to attend a session of the Domestic Violence Cross-Training Institute.
2. The SFPD’s letter to DOSW about their progress with implementation of the Safety Audit recommendations is on the Chief’s desk, awaiting her signature.
3. Deputy Chief Shinn agreed to consider the possibility of moving the Domestic Violence Response Unit (DVRU) to the space currently used by Homicide or to the space utilized by the Investigative Unit. The DVRU’s current space is seriously inadequate, with very little privacy for interviewing witnesses/victims, or for all the inspectors. Captain Ashe strongly supports having DVRU move to better space.
4. Stalking training is now being conducted with Advanced Officers. Capt. Ashe has drafted a Departmental Bulletin on the issue of stalking, but it has not yet been approved. It will include roll-call training.
5.
Ms. Upton raised the issue of new VAWA regulations that require every police department to have a signer for U-Visas (the Chief or her designee). Bay Area Legal Aid has requested a meeting to discuss this issue. Currently U-Visas are backed up from October, 2007. Deputy Chief Shinn stated that regulations require turning undocumented U-Visa applicants over to INS if she refuses to cooperate with prosecution of the batterer.
Ms. Kandel, of Bay Area Legal Aid, explained the situation further: U-Visas are available for domestic violence victims who cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of the crime. Law enforcement has to sign a letter regarding the victim’s cooperation, and the letter is attached to her U-Visa application. Because of San Francisco’s commitment to being a City of Refuge/sanctuary for undocumented immigrants, the Police Department does not want to get involved in turning over people to INS. Therefore, it has been 8 months since SFPD signed any letters. The District Attorney will still sign such letters, but most cases are with the Police, not the DA. Ms. Kandel recommended that the Oversight Panel hold a meeting with the Police Department in an attempt to address this logjam, which has potentially fatal consequences. Ms. Tregor will follow up.
B. Meeting with Department of Emergency Management
Members of the Oversight Panel met with Vicki Hennessey, the Acting Director of the Department. The group discusses issues that had been raised in the Safety Audit, including:
1. Concern that night shift staff does not have access to safe and secure parking: DEM reassured panelists that Sheriff’s Deputies are now available to safety escort staff to their cars, and that the issue has been fixed. As long as DEM does not loose funding in their budget for Sheriffs, they will be able to continue this.
2. The group discussed concerns with the PREMHAZARD protocol, which is not currently in use. DEM agreed to work with DOSW and SFPD to create a protocol to identify addresses where there may be an ongoing problem with domestic violence, in order to alert law enforcement. Capt. Ashe, Lisa Hoffman of DEM, and Lt. Pengel met and agreed to make PREMHAZARD alerts auto-sunset in 72 hours unless there is a request by SFPD to maintain the alert. Capt. Ashe promised to complete a draft protocol prior to her retirement.
C. JUS.T.I.S.
Commissioner Keehn reported that she attempted to contact Judge Kevin Ryan, the new head of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, with no success. Dr. Murase has made multiple efforts as well, also with no success. However, apparently Judge Ryan will be attending the JUSTIS meetings on a regular basis from now on, as regular meetings of the JUSTIS Council have been moved to City Hall in order to better accommodate the Judge’s schedule. Ms. Tregor reported that it will be late in 2009 before all of the spokes of the JUSTIS hub are online.
Concern was expressed by Oversight Panel members about MOCJ’s lack of commitment and attention to JUSTIS. Commissioner Keehn raised the possibility of writing a letter to the Mayor expressing our concern about the possible loss of funding for a Project Coordinator for JUSTIS in the new fiscal year. Captain Ashe stated that SFPD’s problems with implementation of JUSTIS are “not in intent, but in ability”, and she stated that leadership from the Mayor’s Office is the critical ingredient in moving forward. Ms. Upton stated that she has not yet been able to find community people who have the time and willingness to attend JUSTIS meetings, and she will continue to work to identify such a person(s).
D. Family Violence Council (FVC)
Ms. Upton reported that meetings are well attended and that it is great to see everyone “at the table”. Animal Care and Control made a presentation at the last meeting, making the connection between animal abuse and family violence. Animal Care and Control often has access to homes that other people don’t have. Ms. Upton reported that the Public Defender is now a member of the FVC. The FVC has developed a new resource card about domestic violence, child, and elder abuse, using information from Dr Kimberg from the Department of Public Health. It has been translated into multiple languages, and is available on card stock or on the DOSW website. The FVC is discussing the possibility of training for 9-1-1 operators about domestic violence/elder/child abuse protocols. The FVC discussed the issue of photo documentation of victim injuries in the era of digital photography, which can easily be manipulated. Issues of confidentiality are also a concern. The group hopes to have the City’s Medical Examiner, Dr. Amy Hart, at its next meeting, to discuss death reviews.
E. Strategic Planning Retreat
Mr. Theisen, Ms. Black, Ms. Mondejar, and Ms. Hauck all volunteers to help plan the retreat. Members raised possible topics for retreat discussion, including:
1. Reestablishment of a Resource Committee
2. Succession Planning—Where are we?
3. Where we are and Where we’ve Been
Jill will send the planners the current strategic plan, and contact people about a date to meet to set the retreat agenda. The retreat will be held on July 16, 2008, from 10am-4pm. The location is still to be determined.
V. NEW BUSINESS
A. CA Commission on the Status of Women
The California Commission on the Status of Women will be holding a public hearing on June 19th, 2008, at the State Building, Milton Marks Conference Center. They are soliciting testimony on many topics, and are seeking recommendations. DOSW will be presenting on several topics. Ms. Hauck agreed to testify for the Oversight Panel, on the following topics:
1. Body Attachments—urging the CA Commission to support Sen. Yee’s legislation which would eliminate the use of body attachments as a tool for District Attorneys who are trying to force a reluctant victim to testify.
2. Batterer Accountability—urging the CA Commission to take leadership in raising the standards for batterer intervention programs.
3. Aggressiveness of Immigration Enforcement
4. Outreach to the Public—urging the CA Commission to increase outreach to the public about these public hearings.
Commissioner Keehn and Ms. Tregor will work with Ms. Hauck to develop the talking points for her presentation.
B. DOSW Interns
Hannah Belsky and Christine Ulich, summer interns with the Department on the Status of Women, were introduced.
VI. PUBLIC COMMENT
There was no public comment.
VII. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 11:05 a.m.
