Waking up this morning to the video of one of our officers removing a sign calling for action, was not only upsetting, it was infuriating. The taking down of the signs and the officer’s interaction with a young person is not acceptable. And, this is about much more than taking down signs.
Our job as leaders is to change laws and policies and fight against how their enforcement criminalizes black identity and actions. But we can’t stop there. We must also enact legislation that furthers equity and justice in our communities.
I thank our Police Chief and City Manager for taking swift action this morning and for the work they have been doing in the last few years to make changes in our department. And more needs to be done locally and at the state level.
I pledge to advocate and ask others to join me to push for reforms at the state level especially addressing the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights which hampers progress and necessary changes we want to make at the local level in Maryland. We have an opportunity with Del David Moon being appointed by the Speaker of State House to work with other delegates to propose reforms that will be turned into legislation for the next session.
Today, I call on residents to join me in an act of solidarity by putting up signs around town calling for justice and taking anti-racist actions to not only prevent police violence against people of color but to dismantle the very structures of white supremacy wherever they exist.
The redacted text of the incoming call to our dispatch center on June 1, 2020 has been released. Last week, we wanted to respond to the incident as quickly as possible. Now as additional background information is available, we will continue to review the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident and continue to make operational improvements as appropriate.
Update to Chief DeVaul’s Message – June 04 at 5:30pm
Update to Chief DeVaul’s Message – June 02 at 12:00pm
As I have stated in my previous statements, we need to acknowledge and address the issues involving racism and mistreatment of minorities by police and I am committed to making the needed changes. Removing a sign calling for action from a light pole – this during a time when violence against people of color from police officers is rightfully being called out — is not consistent with how we as a police department want and should work with the community.
I also understand this is about more than the removal of signs. The dismissive tone of the officer and the interaction was not how we as a police department should behave.
The officer who responded to remove the signs last night did so as the result of a call from a resident who felt that the language in certain signs displayed would incite violence. Only the involved signs were removed. Other signs supporting the Black Lives Matter movement were left in place. This still does not excuse the dismissive tone and actions of the officer. That is being addressed.
Posted this morning – June 02 at 8:55am
We are aware of the video posted on social media of an interaction between one of our officers removing a sign calling for action from a light pole. Posting signs on light poles and other structures is illegal in Takoma Park. However, during this time of mourning and reflection, we support creating more spaces for residents to express their feelings and raise awareness with signs, posters, and other means. Understanding this need, City Manager Suzanne Ludlow will be putting out an emergency order overriding the posting of sign restriction. We encourage residents to post signs throughout the city.
We have addressed this incident with the involved officer and will be discussing it with all of our staff. As I have stated numerous times, we want to be part of the solution, not the problem. The removal of signs is not part of the solution and for that, I apologize. We all understand that tensions are running high across the country and in Takoma Park. Let’s find a way to learn from this incident and take steps to bring us together.
We are reeling, hurting, and angry. I am urging Takoma Park residents to put signs up across the City. Let’s show the world and each other what we are hoping for and working for, how we are grieving and raging and loving, and working to make this world a just and welcoming place for all.
I am suspending the rules against posting signs in the City right of way. For safety reasons, we will move signs if they are in an unsafe location such as covering a traffic sign or blocking sightlines at an intersection.
Let’s put up the posters, draw with chalk on the sidewalks and show who we are!
This week, the plight of being black in America has hit me like a ton of bricks. As a black woman, I know all too well that racism exists. I’ve seen the looks that some give when they make assumptions about you. I’ve been forced to assimilate and change aspects of who I am to make white people feel more comfortable in my presence. I’ve had awkward conversations with my niece and nephews, well before they were of age to understand, about how to behave so that “people” don’t think that they are criminals. “Don’t touch anything unless you plan to buy it.” “You can borrow the car, but remember if you get stopped by the police to do as you are told. If you are ever arrested, be polite, don’t resist, or say anything.”
However, this week, I realized that despite the preparation that we give black children so that they can survive an encounter with the police, black people are not safe in America. The case of Ahmaud Arbery proves that we can’t jog in our own neighborhood. Breonna Taylor’s death shows that we can’t sleep in our houses. George Floyd’s murder illustrates that even if you don’t resist arrest, you can be killed by individuals who took an oath to protect you.
I am grateful for the work that the City of Takoma Park is doing to acknowledge racism and put systems in place to promote equality. Takoma Park Police Chief DeVaul is changing the culture of policing in the City of Takoma Park; including actively recruiting a diverse police force. The City’s commitment to race equity is shown by the training of staff, and their proactive work to serve residents and small business owners who have less access to power and resources. This work in the Police Department and throughout the City is critical and will continue.
Yet, we must also recognize that we are fighting hate and a system that allows those who hate to prosper. Nelson Mandela said “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.” As a community, we must vow to teach love.
Specifically, you must:
Talk about racism and police brutality with your family.
Speak up when you see or experience racism.
Seek out opportunities to encourage and promote diversity, particularly among elected officials.
Advocate at all levels of government for policies that promote equality and reverse systems that disadvantage people of color.
One of my favorite albums is Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder. In the song, Love’s in Need of Love Today, Stevie Wonder sings “Love’s in need of love today. Don’t delay. Send yours in right away. Hate’s goin’ round. Breaking many hearts. Stop it, please. Before it’s gone too far.”
The hate has gone too far. But, there is still time to make things right. Please join me in vowing to teach love. Together, we can fight racism.
The deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Finan Berhe, and the ones before, force us to continuously come face-to-face with the persistent pandemic destroying our communities – racism.
It is important that the Takoma Park community continues to show up, as a united front, and take a public stance against racism. As perfectly stated by Angela Davis, “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”
For real change to happen, accountability and action must take place. Every single one of us is responsible and we must all do our part.
YOU ARE INVITED to join Unity in the Community co-founder Meaghan Murphy, fellow neighbors, Takoma Park Radio, community activists, Takoma Park City Council members, Mayor, City Manager, and Chief of Police on Monday, June 1, 2020, at 6 pm for a moment of reflection. We will explore how we as individuals, and as a community, will help eradicate racism in this country and work toward just and equitable communities.
Tune in to Takoma Park Radio Station 94.3 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm to explore social justice through music. Hear messages from Chief of Police Antonio DeVaul, Denise Jones and the Essex House Girls Club, long-time TKPK community residents Cedric Boatman and Chris Barclay, community organizer Brandy Brooks, and City Council Member Talisha Searcy.
We encourage you to grab your markers, a piece of paper, and make a sign that reflects the message in your heart and a pledge to take one or all of the following actions:
support-on-the-ground activists
help when it is not an emergency
educate yourself
call lawmakers and vote
talk to your community about racism
With your sign in hand, step outside your front door and find a socially distanced place to sit and reflect, or open up your window and turn up your radio.
Consistent with the actions of other jurisdictions in the Washington, DC area, the Montgomery County Board of Health voted this afternoon to move Montgomery County into Phase 1 Reopeningon Monday, June 1 at 6 am. Phase 1 allows some outdoor seating around restaurants, some curbside service from retail stores, limited hair appointments, and some child care operations. Rulings and guidelines related to these private businesses are under the State of Maryland and the County health departments.
The City of Takoma Park continues to work with our business community to assist them in preparing for changes allowed under Phase 1. Unfortunately, there was not much advance notice from Montgomery County that Phase 1 Reopening would begin Monday, so we and the businesses are scrambling to get ready. Thankfully, we have been working closely with them since the health crisis began and we are here to support our businesses and protect public health.
City Manager Suzanne Ludlow
What does the County decision mean for Takoma Park? The biggest changes starting on Monday will be:
Restaurants will be able to continue take out service and begin outdoor seating following social distance protocols.
Retail stores will be allowed to have curbside pick up.
Hair salons and barbershops are allowed to reopen following specific guidelines.
There will be no significant change in the City of Takoma Park governmental operations due to Montgomery County’s Phase 1 Reopening.
City of Takoma Park governmental buildings will not be open to the public for many weeks and most of our services will continue to be handled remotely. Our Police Department is always open for emergency services and our Police and Public Works staff continue to work serving the community.
What have we been doing in this time before Phase 1 Reopening?
Our City staff has been putting in long, difficult hours working with families and small businesses in need. It is hard to adequately describe the heart-wrenching situations many of our residents face. We have families whose primary breadwinner is sick and suddenly the family is without income and health insurance. Applying for and access to services and stimulus payments are complicated by limited English or lack of documentation. We have been able to help a number of these families get testing, pay rent, obtain food and face masks and make key connections to ongoing services. We will continue to provide this assistance.
Our small businesses have also been pressed to the limit. When the federal stimulus program was issued to help small businesses, the program went through banks. Banks focused on the businesses they worked with most closely, which were often larger businesses. Most of our businesses in Takoma Park were not helped. However, the City of Takoma Park had already acted. Even before the federal government acted, we had started our Mini-Grant program with funds we were able to pull together. So far, we have helped about three dozen businesses with our Mini-Grant program with grants mostly in the $2,000 range. When we received their applications for help, the businesses were ranked by need. Those with employees and special needs ranked higher, and we have been working through the 93 approved applications as funds become available. Now that the Council has identified additional funds, we hope to be able to assist all or most of the eligible businesses that applied for assistance over the next two months. However, we estimate that the businesses that applied represent only about 15% of our business community, so much more work is needed. Staff has been having weekly calls with the Crossroads Development Authority and the Old Town Business Association and communicating directly with many small businesses. We will continue to provide assistance to our businesses and we have prepared recommendations for Council consideration of the use of public space to support our small businesses and protect public health.
City administrative work has been heavy: our staff has been working long hours on budget preparation, oversight of employee health measures and hazard pay, IT services to staff working remotely, and facilitating the City Council as they hold virtual meetings. We will continue to hold virtual meetings at this time.
Recreation, Library and Arts staff have been doing virtual programming, and it is wonderful! Please watch for the special summer programming the Recreation Department is putting into place. They have also been planning for direct services under new health protocols. Senior Recreation staff are studying the child care protocols, which are quite extensive, and preparing for a number of options depending on how Montgomery County Public Schools decides to proceed with its classes. The Library is looking to begin contactless book lending in June. (If you still have Library books from before the pandemic started, please return them so that we can get them ready for our new program!) Besides work for their own departments, some Recreation and Library staff have been helping other City efforts, from garden maintenance to assisting residents through the Emergency Assistance program.
Communications about the rapid changes that have occurred during the health emergency are key. We have been helping residents and businesses access funds and services, providing health information, and telling success stories. Our one Communications Specialist has had her hands full, but staff from other departments have stepped up. We have done mailings, social media, and website updates. It’s a huge lift and ever-changing, but we have focused on being accurate and targeting information to those who need it the most. We will continue to communicate with residents and keep them informed during the crisis. Be sure to check out our Covid-19 Information and Resourcepage.
Soon our Neighborhood Services Team staff will be returning to more active service. They provide educational information regarding our Safe Grow and other environmental laws, and they do parking enforcement and property code enforcement. While enforcement of serious safety issues has continued throughout the health emergency, most parking and code enforcement activities have been on hold. We will not start regular parking enforcement right away, but now that more businesses can do curbside sales, we know there may need to be increased parking enforcement.
Even as we look at how to address City service needs this summer and fall, we also have to keep our eyes forward to next year and the year after that. We will be watching how revenue changes may affect Takoma Park. The City Council and I will have frequent discussions on that topic as we learn more. And, we need to keep our eyes on the vision and priorities for Takoma Park post-pandemic. What will we be doing to make Takoma Park a more equitable and livable community?
“Takoma Park – Safe, Strong and Supportive of Each Other” is not just a nice sentiment; it is a necessity. The pandemic has brought that home. What each of us does affects our neighbors. Wearing your mask, keeping your social distance, washing your hands, and helping each other out when we can is a health and community necessity.
As are all in our community, I am deeply disturbed by the actions of Minneapolis Police officers in the murder of George Floyd. The actions taken by the involved officers were incredibly disturbing and go against the basic law enforcement principle of the preservation of life. The lack of compassion, abuse of power, and use of excessive force does not just tarnish our profession, they tear at the very fabric of race relations in our country. Every human being must be treated with dignity and respect. George Floyd was afforded neither.
I am glad to see the outrage from law enforcement leaders across the country. We can no longer sit back and allow these incidents to happen. Real change must happen. The changes start with our hiring and training. We must hire people who want to be in law enforcement for the right reasons; those who truly want to help people and understand the importance of developing trust and positive relationships with our community members. It is not us against them, just us. We must also train our officers to deescalate situations with dialog, not force.
A vital key to developing trust and legitimacy with our communities is removing problem officers from our ranks. It is my understanding that the primary officer involved in the death of George Floyd had nearly twenty previous complaints lodged against him. While I do not know the individual facts of each complaint, the fact that an individual officer had nearly twenty complaints and two letters of reprimand filed against him in a 20-year career is, in itself, alarming and should have warranted some intervention by his supervisors. The fact that three other officers stood by and did not intervene to stop Mr. Floyd’s death is extremely troubling. All officers have a moral and ethical obligation to intervene when they see injustice occurring. All too often we have seen officers stand by and not act when other officers abuse people of color. This must change and all officers who do not act to intervene and stop incidents like the Floyd incident must be held accountable.
Every police officer and leader I know has condemned the actions of the involved officers. What is not being unilaterally addressed is the role race placed in the incident and others across the country. It is clear there were moral and tactical shortcomings in the George Floyd case. What is also clear is that all too often these cases involve police victimizing unarmed persons of color.
I am not one to say, “it could never happen here in Takoma Park.” I will say this, we are doing everything we can to ensure something like the incident in Minneapolis and others across our country does not occur in Takoma Park.
As your police chief, I am acknowledging the role race plays in our everyday life and how we police our communities. I am committed to hiring individuals who want to be police officers for the right reasons, providing on-going training to officers, and holding officers accountable for actions.
I am proud of the work we have done in Takoma Park to make positive connections with all of our stakeholders, especially those who hold the most mistrust of the police; our minority youth. An example of how these connections have had an impact can be found in the partnership formed between our police department and city youth during the passing of Cyril Briscoe, a local rapper and beloved member of our community. In the aftermath of his death, several members of our community began publicly expressing grief and remembrance of Cyril. Some members of our community complained about the impact the vigils were having on our community. Our officers worked directly with the organizers of the events to allow our community members to grieve while minimizing the impact on the surrounding neighbors. Some departments may have taken an aggressive stance to shut down the vigils and aggressively dispersed the mourners. We chose to work with the group to respect their rights and need to grieve. Many of the mourners expressed how thankful they were for how we handled the vigils. The one-year anniversary of Cyril’s death occurred two days ago. While many areas of the country were experiencing violent protests, youth in Takoma Park held a peaceful vigil with our police present and supportive. I bring this incident up to illustrate how we as police need to work with our communities to build relationships and trust. These relationships can be called upon in good and bad times.
We are a long way away from solving this problem. The first step to fixing a problem is acknowledging that there is a problem. As I stated before, I am very pleased to see so many law enforcement leaders and line officers come out to condemn the murder of George Floyd. We as a community and a nation must come together to address the issues facing the law enforcement profession. I and all of the members of the Takoma Park Police Department are committed to being part of the solution, not the problem. We are stronger together!
We are always open to ideas and input on how we can provide equal and equitable service to all of our community members. Have suggestions? Please send them to me at tonyd@takomaparkmd.gov.
To assist residents with proper and safe disposal of hazardous waste, the Public Works Department holds an annual Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off day.
Date: Saturday, June 13, 2020 Time: 10:00 am to 2:00
On Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day, Takoma Park residents can drop off household hazardous waste for free (non-residents will be charged a $10 fee (CHECKS ONLY) at the yard at the Public Works Facility.
In light of the pandemic, participants will be asked to follow these steps:
All participants must wear a mask – no exceptions.
Enter from the Oswego Avenue entrance only.
Follow the guidance of the staff directing traffic, all vehicles will exit out the Ritchie Avenue driveway.
All hazardous materials for drop off must be in the trunk of the car or back of a pickup trunk only – no materials will be taken out of the interior of your car.
City staff will remove the hazardous materials from the trunk or pick up truck – participants must stay in their cars at all times.
What Can Be Accepted at the Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day in Takoma Park?
Aerosol cans containing hazardous products
Antifreeze and hydraulic fluids (5-gallon limit)
Batteries: lithium, lithium-ion, nickel-cadmium, car (lead acid)
Hooray! Sometime soon, the Takoma Park Maryland Library will launch a contactless checkout “Books-To-Go” service. Stay tuned for details.
As part of getting ready for this service, we’d love it if you returned the books you took out in the mad rush before we closed. Please help us get back into the swing of things by returning your books—our book drop is open 24/7 and checked at least once daily.
A few months ago, I was asked what does community mean to me.
The first thing that popped into my mind was to respond with our geographic location – the City of Takoma Park – 2.4 square miles located in the corner of Montgomery County bordered by Washington DC, Prince Georges County, Silver Spring.
But, community is so much more. The word itself is rooted in the Middle French communité. Initially, it meant: “joint ownership.”
Joint ownership. Shared togetherness. That is community.
So what does that mean during a pandemic, and what does community mean for our budget process this year?
We have been working since early April on the FY2021 City Budget. We knew from the first presentation on April 6th that the proposed budget needed to be revised to take into consideration the health crisis, and we have learned much more about the health and economic situation since then.
We are thankful that even in a pandemic, we have had a great deal of feedback and input. The Zoom Council meetings have given people who have never attended or spoken at a Council meeting the opportunity to provide comments. Individual councilmembers have done their own virtual town halls and online surveys. And our terrific City staff led by our City Manager have been working round the clock to provide answers to all of our questions so we can make the best decisions possible in an ever-evolving situation.
Thank you for all the engagement. We have had a very robust discussion this year. And, we needed it. None of us have ever tried to do a budget during a world pandemic with so much changing daily.
We heard a number of differing views on the specifics of the budget, but throughout the discussion, there has been a common commitment to our community and those who call it home.
I have said many times over the last few weeks, as the City, we are the first line of defense for those most impacted during this crisis. And now is the time to act quickly and with sufficient resources, to help more people stay in their homes and keep businesses afloat while we wait and advocate for assistance at the county, state, and federal level. We also know that while this crisis impacts everyone, the magnitude of the impact is not equal, further exposing the racial injustices that we must address as a City.
So with all of this in mind on Monday night the City Council made the following changes to the proposed budget:
Created a COVID-19 Fund with over $600,000 in resources to enable the City to continue to provide financial support for residents and small businesses ($440,000 for FY2021 and about $194,000 that we are spending this year).
Cutover a half a million in personnel costs and put a hold on over $300,000 on other personnel costs.
Kept the same tax rate as last year — 53.97 cents per $100 assessed valuation
Kept stormwater fee the same. Continued funding for public safety initiatives such as traffic calming.
Suspended funds for large public gatherings.
Put a hold for at least the first quarter of the year $1.3 million dollars of expenditures that will be re-evaluated throughout the year.
In terms of different reserves or funds we can use in the emergency as we learn more about the needs and impacts we have:
General Contingency Account: $135,000 (to cover unexpected operating expenses)
Emergency Reserve: $510,000 (for emergency expenditures for the health, safety or welfare of persons or to perform essential government services)
Housing Reserve: $1,058,294 (as of June 30, 2020) (requires a housing purpose)
Unassigned Reserve: $1.8million; plus the $1.3million in on-hold projects for a total of over $3million in unassigned reserves.
Staff is now preparing the final budget documents which Council will vote on May 13th and 20th.
Thank you very much for all the input and collaboration to get us to this point.
Our FY2021 budget reflects our shared togetherness during the greatest challenge we have ever had to face as a community.
I am to make white people feel more comfortable in my presence. I’ve had awkward conversations with my niece and nephews, well before they were of age to understand, about how to behave so that “people” don’t think that they are criminals. “Don’t touch anything unless you plan to buy it.” “You can borrow the car, but remember if you get stopped by the police to do as you are told. If you are ever arrested, be polite, don’t resist, or say anything.”
Taylor’s death shows that we can’t sleep in our houses. George Floyd’s murder illustrates that even if you don’t resist arrest, you can be killed by individuals who took an oath to protect you.
the country. We can no longer sit back and allow these incidents to happen. Real change must happen. The changes start with our hiring and training. We must hire people who want to be in law enforcement for the right reasons; those who truly want to help people and understand the importance of developing trust and positive relationships with our community members. It is not us against them, just us. We must also train our officers to deescalate situations with dialog, not force.
A few months ago, I was asked what does community mean to me.