December 12, 2017
Safety & Reform Community Advisory Council
Agenda
No Agenda for the January Meeting
Next Meeting
Tuesday, February 6, 2017 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM in 320 University Pavilion
Minutes
Participants
CAC Members
- Judge John West, Chair
- Eric Abercrumbie
- Doug Barge
- Branden Boseman
- Yasmin Chilton
- Bashir Emlemdi
- Peg Fox
- Bobby Hilton
- Jack Martin
- Mel Otten
- KZ Smith
- Terri Theetge
- Charlene Ventura
UC Administration
- Gregory Baker
- Robin Engel
- Maris Herold
- Bleuzette Marshall
- James Whalen
CAC Members Not in Attendance
- Mike Ealy
- Aaron Greenlea
- Chara Fisher Jackson
- Ennis Tait
| Action Items | Responsible Person(s) | Due Date |
|---|---|---|
| Report of Hiring Subcommittee to CAC members | Engel/West | 1/10/18 |
| Post minutes of 1/10/18 meeting to website | Engel/Morris | 1/23/18 |
Welcome and Administrative Matters
Judge John West, Chairman
Judge West provided welcome and thanked members for schedule flexibility.
- Judge West noted that there was not a formal agenda, as the meeting will be used to discuss the resignation of Chief of Police, Anthony Carter and our plans moving forward.
Robin Engel congratulated Judge West for being honored by the University of Cincinnati with an Honorary Doctorate the previous weekend, December 9, 2018.
Discussion regarding the Resignation of Anthony Carter
Judge West and Dr. Robin S. Engel, VP for Safety & Reform
Judge West began with an overview of the sequence of events leading up to the resignation, and Robin Engel continued providing facts surrounding the initial complaint, investigation, and outcome.
CAC Members expressed concerned because they were not notified of the situation when the initial complaint was received or when the employment changes were made.
- Robin Engel explained that Tony Carter, as an employee of the University of Cincinnati had employment rights and she is not permitted to discuss any ongoing personnel matters or internal investigations with CAC Members.
- Dr. Engel reiterated that she simply could not discuss the investigation, rumored termination or resignation until the process was completed. Other CAC Members confirmed that the rights of an employee should not be violated.
CAC Members expressed concerns regarding the continued employment of Anthony Carter at the University, albeit in a different capacity.
- Robin Engel noted that she had received similar feedback from others in the University, and expressed regret that the CAC could not be better informed by her regarding this matter.
- Judge West indicated that because legal counselors for both parties were involved, these employment matters could not be discussed in greater detail.
UCPD Chief of Police Position
Judge West and Dr. Engel
Dr. Engel explained the differences between the titles of “Acting Chief” and “Interim Chief” – an Acting Chief is named when the Police Chief is out of town, on vacation, on leave, etc. An Interim Police Chief is appointed when the Police Chief position is vacant, and the Interim role remains until the Police Chief position is permanently filled. Maris Herold was initially appointed as Acting Police Chief on November 23, was appointed as Interim Police Chief on November 27, 2017.
Judge West discussed the need to make decisions regarding the selection process for the new Police Chief as soon as possible, and hoped that a new Chief could be identified and hired within the next thirty days.
Judge West, Dr. Engel, and Director Baker all described the need for expediency given the forward trajectory of the agency and the goal to continue the positive momentum.
Dr. Abercrumbie discussed being on the hiring committee for the Chief and Assistant Chief search approximately eighteen months ago. He acknowledged that he felt the best candidate at that time is currently on within UCPD (Maris Herold).
- Other CAC Members expressed similar strong support for the selection of Interim Chief Herold as the next Police Chief.
- Several CAC Members noted they were not interested in conducting a prolonged national search when they believed the ideal candidate was already serving as the Interim Chief.
Judge West asked for volunteers to create a hiring subcommittee to develop an appropriate selection process
- The CAC hiring subcommittee includes: Brendan Boseman, Yasmin Chilton, Peg Fox, Colonel Terri Theetge and Charlene Ventura. UC Staff Members include: Director Whalen, Director Baker, and Dr. Engel.
Dr. Engel agreed to explore various hiring processes and policies with her colleagues in HR and EOA, and provide feedback to the CAC subcommittee regarding the options available.
The subcommittee will work through the winter break and propose a selection process by Jan 1, 2018 to the full CAC Membership.
Future Role of CAC
Judge West
Judge West discussed working with the Board of Trustees and UC Administration to confirm the CAC’s role within the university, and perhaps changing that role to allow for discussion of personnel and other important matters.
Dr. Engel distributed a copy of the CAC Statement of Guiding Principles that was originally created in October 2015, along with the current UCPD Mission, Vision and Core Principles developed in spring 2016.
Judge West encouraged CAC Members to consider what they believe the future role of the CAC should be; members were asked to re-read the initial statements and be prepared to discuss in-depth at the next CAC meeting.
Future Meeting
- Tuesday, February 6, 2018 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM in 320 University Pavilion - Exiger monitors will be in attendance to provide the Year 1 summary.