PV Monthly Meeting Notes – May 13th, 2021

To download a copy of the notes, click here.

Notes              Thursday May 13, 2021         12:00-1:30pm

Virtual

“Collaboration for the Greater Good”

1. Welcome by PV Chair-Mark Stockton.

2. Chief Kilcullen remarks

   1. On April 22^nd, RCPD met with state representatives of Agency of Human Services, local elected officials, and PV members to discuss the voucher program at the Quality Inn
      1. Basis of this meeting was to address the high rate of police calls and actions in relation to the program
      2. Actions items were identified in the meeting that are being addressed
         1. For example, a resource desk staffed by representatives from the Community Health network will be implemented at the facility
      3. Weekly follow-up meetings between the RCPD and state officials have continued
      4. There is potential for the state to fund a full-time officer presence to act as security

3. Commander Greg Sheldon remarks

   1. Tuesday lunch-ins at the VISION Center will restart June 8^th
      1. An opportunity for PV partners to have lunch together on a weekly basis
   2. Boy Scout Explorer Program will restart at the RCPD station in the coming months
      1. Initial intro meeting is anticipated to convene in July, open to all youths aged 14 to 21 in 9^th grade or higher
   3. Project VISION Steering Committee has reconvened
      1. A monthly meeting for PV and committee leadership held the second Wednesday of each month
      2. Discusses PV procedural matters and the actions outlined in the strategic plan
   4. This week is national police week
      1. Established in 1962 to honor the nation’s police officers
      2. In 2020, 290 police officers died in the line of duty
         1. 192 of these deaths were from Covid-19

4. Announcements:

   3. Colleen Shattuck – Rutland Rec. “MOVE”
      1. In partnership with Partners for Prevention, RCPD, RCFD, and others, Rutland Recreation is launching a new program called “MOVE”
      2. Due to connectivity issues, this announcement will be typed and shared via the PV Listserv
   4. Whitney Ramage (the77gallery@gmail.com) – Introduction to 77Art
      1. Overview
         1. A Rutland-based grassroots art organization
         2. Focuses on building up early career artists
         3. 501c3 status and is currently fully volunteer run
         4. Strives to build a welcoming relationship between the Rutland community and the diverse world of arts
      2. Residency program
         1. Focus on early artists at the forefront of their career
         2. Started in 2018, and is expected to resume late summer for 2021
         3. Program offers artists an opportunity to stay in Rutland for 1 month and embed themselves in studios in the city, with an emphasis on building gallery exhibitions and community collaboration projects
         4. All residents are supported with housing, food, workspace, and technical assistance
         5. In 2019, 77Art hosted 38 artists from seven countries and 11 US cities
      3.  Goals
         1. Establish a strong art institution in Rutland
         2. Generate art tourism and create national and international relations
      4. Community Engagement – set to restart in 2022
         1. Gallery lunch-in programs
         2. Artist workshops, talks
         3. Exhibitions
         4. School programs
   5. Alis Headlam (headlam@aol.com) – ‘We Believe in Rutland’, history book of PV
      1. For the past 4 years, Alis has written a history of Project VISION
      2. Originally intended to be a 4 page report, it turned into a 160 page document built upon 73 supporting interviews
      3. Cover photo is the mural made by Tara Goreau in honor of Carly Ferro
      4. A truly informative overview of Project VISION and the dynamics that led to its creation
      5. Print copies will be available for $20 and a read only version available on the Project VISION website in the coming weeks
         1. Contact Alis to place an order for a print copy
      6. Agencies and organizations are asked to share a statement about this upcoming piece on their listservs or social media pages
         1. Alis has a prepared statement that can be used

5. Rutland PD School Resource Officer Ernest LaGuardia – SRO Presentation

   3. History of SRO
      3. Began in the 1950s and 1960s in various locations to establish a relationship between local police and youth
      4. In the 1970s, many departments across the country began to establish SRO positions
      5. In 1991, the National Association for School Resource Officers was establish
         1. Emphasized the three roles of a SRO
            1. Law enforcement role
               1. Serve and protect schools
               2. Being visible and interacting with students
               3. Work to create a safe environment
            2. Teacher role
               1. Build relationships with students and serve as an educator in law enforcement education
            3. Counselor/ Mentor role
               1. 1. Create an open-door environment
                  2. Emphasize community policing model
   4. Goals of SRO
      1. Above all else, the goal is to build relationships with students
         1. Participate in school programs, events, gym games, and class projects with students
      2. Understand the cultural and social trends of students
      3. In practice, a SRO is an on-duty police officer that acts like a social worker
      4. In Rutland, the SRO is not involved in disciplinary actions

6. Sub-Committee Updates

   1. Health Committee – Jamie Bentley report out
      1. 1. At the previous Health Committee meeting, a group of Yale and VT Law School students presented a research project on rural transportation, which included suggested action steps to increase accessibility
            1. provide shelters at each bus stop
            2. emphasize how travelers connect between a bus network’s last stop and passenger destinations
            3. emphasize residence zoning in downtown locations
         2. Sarah Roy, one of three co-chairs of the Health Committee, is back to her regular Project VISION capacity as her state responsibilities to assist in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has completed
      2. Non-Opioid Committee
         1. Collaborative with Rutland Community Collaborative to develop a training on substance abuse stigma for clinical staff
      3. Mentoring / Youth Engagement
         1. Vermont Youth Project is applying for a government grant that will provide the funds necessary to enable schools to have consistent after school programs
      4. Food Access
         1. Developing an informational resource that provides comprehensive information on food access locations
         2. Involved in operating Everyone Eats locations
   2. Community Building and Neighborhood Engagement Committee
      1. Youth Engagement – Chair Sgt Jon Dickerson update
         1. Pop-up events will resume in mid-July
      2. Neighborhood Engagement – Chair Alis Headlam
         1. First meeting since winter occurred on Mary 4^th
         2. Neighborhood walk is scheduled for May 29^th, from 9:00 – 10:00am, at the intersection of Kinsley Ave and Church St
         3. Subcommittee plans to develop a community calendar for community events
      3. Community Policing – Chair Cmdr Sheldon
         1. Board of Alderman approved the PV sponsored declaration of inclusion
         2. There is an effort to receive trainings in crime prevention through environmental design and procedural justice
         3. The RCPD will start a community ride along program, starting with Community Policing subcommittee members, once COVID-19 restrictions are fully lifted

7. Uplifting or positive story

   1. Cmdr Greg Sheldon is very happy and truly thankful to be back and involved in Project VISION