On June 16th, Mayor Kate Stewart and the Takoma Park City Council welcomed the District 20 Delegation for an overview of state-level reform proposals regarding Maryland policing. State Senator Will Smith, and Delegates David Moon, Jheanelle Wilkins, and Lorig Charkoudian reviewed progress to date, specific reform goals for the 2020 session, and how Takoma Park residents and City officials can support these efforts.
Category Archives: News
Category for general news items.
YOUTH COUNCIL STATEMENT ON BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT
The Takoma Park Youth Council supports the Black Lives Matter Movement and all people who strive to make their communities safer and more livable for Black Americans.
Though we are a diverse city, there is much progress to be made in Takoma Park and it is everyone’s responsibility to support policies conducive to racial equity. As a community, we must be actively anti-racist, educate our family and peers on the systemic racism that plagues our country, and constantly examine our own institutions for how they could better serve our most vulnerable community members.
Right now, it is essential that everyone does what they can to support the Black community. Through taking direct action such as protesting, signing petitions, donating to Black organizations, uplifting Black voices, and supporting Black businesses, you can make an impact in our community.
It is up to each and every person to take steps both large and small towards dismantling white supremacy, to help our community and country become one of acceptance, peace, and joy.
Takoma Park residents in grades 7-12 can apply to be a member of the Takoma Park Youth Council. Application deadline June 30. 2020.
SummerQuest Reading Program Begins Wednesday, June 17 at 2pm
Due to the pandemic, the Takoma Park Maryland Library’s SummerQuest reading program will be conducted online for the first time.
Join the SummerQuest Kick Off Program:
Wednesday, June 17 at 2 p.m. via Zoom:
Meeting ID is 982-4674-0027
Meeting Password is 429279.
Creator Dave Burbank will introduce this year’s story and gameboard. Readers can track their 10 reading challenges with special codes through ReaderZone, which can be downloaded as a free app or accessed via the ReaderZone website.
Readers win a “badge” – an image of one of Dave’s many SummerQuest characters — when they complete each challenge.
There’s also a special set of challenges for parents to do with young children. The story, gameboard, SummerQuest directions, and instructions on using ReaderZone will be uploaded soon to the Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library website. Thanks to the Friends for sponsoring SummerQuest for more than two decades!
COVID-19 Response – Reopening Phase 1: Laurel Avenue Closure
Everyone is Invited! The Community Patio and the Takoma Streetery on Laurel Avenue will be open tomorrow, Friday, June 12, with outside seating available. Please make note that all social distancing and mask requirements are in effect.
It’s supposed to be a beautiful day tomorrow, get outside and enjoy!
Here is some information on the Laurel Avenue Closure!
Laurel Avenue Lane Closure Begins June 12
In support of Takoma Park’s small businesses and needed steps toward re-opening, the City Council authorized the closure of the 
northbound side of Laurel Avenue for outdoor seating, sales, and customer pick-up. Beginning June 12, the side of Laurel Avenue where the businesses are located will be closed to allow for outdoor dining and enjoyment, curbside pickup and other public uses to assist Takoma Park’s businesses, employees, and residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Barriers and signage will be installed to announce the lane closure and detour around the church.
Note:
- For larger views of Laurel Avenue Map
- The handicap parking space will be relocated across Laurel, on the southbound side
- The Takoma Park Post Office will not be impacted by the Laurel Avenue street closure. Hours and parking remain the same.
- The businesses will begin using the outdoor space in order to re-open the restaurants, as permitted by the reduction of State and County restrictions, beginning on Friday, June 12, 2020.
The City has developed a new webpage to address the use of public space for these purposes, with the opportunity for the public to give feedback:
Free Driveway Concert with Sarah Hughes on June 13
Roadside Attractions Concert with Sarah Hughes
Saturday, June 13 at 4 pm
Driveway at corner of Carroll Avenue and Central Avenue
Multi-instrumentalist Sarah Hughes will play a free concert at 4 pm on June 13 in the Roadside Attractions driveway music series co-sponsored by the Viaduct arts salon and the City’s Takoma Park Arts cultural series.
Sarah is an improvisational musician and a prominent fixture in the D.C.-Baltimore experimental scene. Playing saxophone, clarinet, and flute, she has performed in numerous musical contexts, including jazz ensembles, contemporary music ensembles, swing bands, blues jams, folk groups, rap and hip-hop troupes, and indie music collectives. In 2015, she toured Sweden and performed in the country’s first Women in Jazz festival. She performs regularly at Rhizome in Takoma Park and other venues in the area. You can hear some of her music on her website.
Musicians receive an honorarium from Takoma Park Arts to support their livelihoods. Please join us for this free concert where Sarah also is seeking donations for An End to Ignorance, which provides food for vulnerable populations in Baltimore.
Please wear masks and maintain social distancing to keep everyone safe. You can learn more about all of the events in the Takoma Park Arts series at takomaparkmd.gov/arts where you also can sign up for our weekly e-newsletter. Let’s celebrate the return of live music to Takoma Park!
A message from Chief DeVaul regarding TPPD Use of Force Policies in relation to the #8CANTWAIT Use of Force Policy Recommendations
Community Members,
We are aware of the #8CANTWAIT recommendations for Law Enforcement agency use of force policies. We currently have in place policies that cover to some degree all of the eight of the #8CANTWAIT recommendations.
We are currently in the process of reviewing our use of force policies. Specifically, the ban of chokeholds except where deadly force is needed and the language used in the section “exhaust all other means before shooting.”
We look forward to working with members of the community and our City Council, as we review this and other policies in our efforts to increase community policing and building trust across the community. We are also compiling information to provide to the public about the training provided to officers.
Background on the #8CANTWAIT Use of Force Policy Recommendations
#8CANTWAIT Use of Force policy Recommendations
- Eight recommendations made by #8CANTWAIT
- Duty to Intervene
- Require De-escalation
- Ban Shooting at Moving Vehicles
- Ban Chokeholds & Strangleholds
- Require Comprehensive Reporting
- Require Use of Force Continuum
- Exhaust All Other Means Before Shooting
- Require Warning Before Shooting
Print an: Overview of the #8CANTWAIT Document
Below is an overview of the #8CANTWAIT recommendations and our related policies.
Duty to Intervene:
Each department member has the individual responsibility to intervene and attempt to stop any other member from committing an unlawful or improper act, including but not limited to, acts of brutality, abuses of process, abuses of authority, and any other criminal acts or major violations of department rules and procedures. Successful intervention does not negate a duty to report.
Require De-escalation:
Our current policies require all officers to use de-escalation techniques prior to using force.
Ban Shooting at Moving Vehicles:
Our current policy prohibits officers from shooting at or from moving vehicles unless circumstances would authorize deadly force.
Officers are prohibited from intentionally placing themselves in the path of a moving vehicle where an officer’s use of deadly force would be the probable outcome. When confronted by an oncoming vehicle, officers will move out of its path, if possible, rather than fire at the vehicle.
Ban Chokeholds & Strangleholds:
Our current policy bans the use of chokeholds except where deadly force is needed.
Require Comprehensive Reporting:
Our department requires comprehensive reporting and review of all use of force incidents. The list of reporting requirements is extensive. They can be found on our website under general orders, Use of Force, General Order 617.
Require Use of Force Continuum:
Our department has a use of force continuum that officers are trained in and must follow.
Exhaust All Other Means Before Shooting:
Our current policy requires officers to use only that amount of force, which is reasonable and necessary. Officers are required at all times to exhaust every other reasonable means of apprehension before resorting to the use of deadly force. Officers may use deadly force to defend themselves or another person from what they reasonably believe is an imminent threat of death or serious physical injury. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that any use of deadly force must be objectively reasonable. This standard will be applied to all uses of deadly force regardless of whether or not a suspect is fleeing when an officer employs deadly force.
Require Warning Before Shooting:
Our firearms training and policies require all officers to provide warnings before shooting.
Congratulations CityTV Staff on taking home the Overall Excellence in Government Access Award!
June 1, 2020. Takoma Park City TV received a 2020 Hometown Media Award from the Alliance for Community Media Foundation. The awards program was established to honor and promote community media and local cable programs that are distributed on Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) access cable television channels.
City TV won in the $300,000-$650,000 category the Overall Excellence in Government programming, awarded to the overall 
production of the channel. “This is the best award we could win,” says Alvaro Calabia, production manager for City TV. He believes that “they have appreciated the diversity of programs we produce and how we try to reach all demographics in the City. Besides English and Spanish, in 2019 we produced shows in Amharic, Haitian Creole, and French. We also collaborated with the Thunderbolts to produce our first baseball games ever, and we have rooted deeper our relation with Takoma Radio, WOWD. We have a lot of partners in Takoma Park responsible for the award.” You can see City TV programs on their YouTube page.
Each year, a panel of judges evaluates over a thousand entries based on several factors including subject, experience, and budget. Awards are then presented to the most creative programs that address community needs, develop diverse community involvement, challenge conventional commercial television formats, and move viewers to experience television in a different way. Proceeds from the awards program are used exclusively for facilitating, preserving and promoting education in community media.
“The Hometown Media Awards celebrate both the excellence of work and the diversity of media that appears on community channels being produced around the country. The ACM Foundation is proud of their achievement and of how they represent their communities in their work,” said Mike Wassenaar, president & CEO, Alliance for Community Media.
Congratulations CityTV Staff!
A message from Mayor Stewart to the Community
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.
Please join me.
A message from Chief DeVaul to the community regarding sign removal: Please see Chief’s updated message
Update to Chief DeVaul’s Message – June 08 at 4:45pm
Redacted text of incoming call for service on June 1, 2020
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
Body Cam footage: Police Removal of Signs:
Police Chief DeVaul Interview with WJLA TV
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.
City Manager Suzanne Ludlow takes Emergency Action: Suspending Rules about Sign Posting
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!
