NovusAGENDA

COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY & NEIGHBORHOODS - February 12, 2020

MEETING AT 7:00 PM, City Hall, 133 William Street, New Bedford, MA City Council Chambers - Room 214

AGENDA


	1. WRITEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting, that the City Council inform the Office of the District Attorney that it is the Council’s desire to see that all affiliated local and national gang members arrested in New Bedford be held without bail until the District Attorney’s Office has had the opportunity to hold dangerousness hearings on all said gang members; and further, that the District Attorney’s Office make known the City Council’s sentiments to any Judge presiding over cases involving gang members; and further, that the District Attorney’s Office provide on a quarterly basis a list of the forfeiture of funds to the City of New Bedford. (Ref’d 12/12/19)
	INVITEES: Representative, District Attorney’s Office
	2. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting, that the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods convene a meeting to address what enforcement mechanisms, laws, regulations, Ordinances or government action may be devised and implemented to prevent/remedy the problem of local or national gangs occupying and/or controlling apartment buildings and houses in the City and using such buildings for purposes of conducting criminal activity; and further, that the Committee invite Attorney John Flor; the Chief of Police; the Police Gang Unit; the Landlord Association; and the Building Commissioner and others to be determined, to the meeting to provide input with regard to addressing this issue. (Ref’d 12/12/19)
	INVITEES: Joseph Cordeiro, Police Chief; Attorney John Flor; Danny Romanowicz, DIS Commissioner; Representative, Landlord Association; Representative, Police Gang Unit
	3. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting, that the Mayor and the Chief of Police immediately establish and properly equip a National Gang Task Force Division within the New Bedford Police Department for the purpose of addressing any National gang activity operating within the City of New Bedford; and furthermore, that this Task Force work closely with the Police Departments of surrounding Towns, the Offices of the Attorney General and District Attorney as well as State and Local Police throughout the region so that a collaborative effort can be made to rid the City of national gang violence. (Ref’d 12/12/19) (12/30/19-returned unsigned by the Mayor)
	INVITEES: Joseph Cordeiro, Police Chief; Representative, Mayor's Office
	4. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting that the New Bedford Police Department continue to actively recruit, hire and train qualified individuals so that the ranks of the New Bedford Police Department may be brought to full strength, as budgeted, ensuring the safety and confidence of the public. (Ref’d 12/12/19) (12/30/19-returned unsigned by the Mayor)
	INVITEES: Joseph Cordeiro, Police Chief
	5. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Dunn and Lopes, requesting, that Health Department Director Damon Chaplin, provide a briefing to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods regarding any plans to ban the sale of certain tobacco products within the City. (Ref’d 11/26/19)
	INVITEES: Damon Chaplin, Health Department Director
	6. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Dunn, requesting, that the Administration, the CFO, the Chief of the Fire Department, and the New Bedford Firefighters IAFF 841, brief the City Council on the current logistics of the rolling blackouts of the fire stations, any plan and timeline to cease this practice, and the overall fire safety and coverage plan for the City going forward. (Ref’d 1/9/2020)
	INVITEES: Paul Coderre, Jr., Fire Chief; Ari Sky, CFO; Billy Sylvia, President, New Bedford Firefighters IAFF 841; Representative, Mayor’s Office


Chair Suggests 'Follow Recommended Action' and 'Report Out to the Full City Council'

7. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Dunn and Coelho, requesting, that the City increase the Police presence around the Carlos Pacheco school due to the risk of children being harmed by vehicle traffic during pick up and drop off times, especially on Mt. Pleasant Street and Sawyer Street. (To be Referred to Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods). (Ref’d 9/26/19)


Chair Suggests 'No Further Action' and 'Report Out to the Full City Council'


	8. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Coelho, requesting, that a representative from the Police Department be invited to appear before the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods to update the Committee members on the opiate epidemic and the number of repeat overdoses and provide us with the latest overdoses in Bristol County; and further, to inform us about what kind of outreach is being done and what the State can do to help us, as we need assistance to deal with the repeat overdose crisis. (To be Referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods and a representative from the Police Department.) (Ref’d 4/28/16)

	9. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes requesting, that the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods, meet with Animal Control Director Maciel, for the purpose of discussing, once more, the coverage of animal control in the city; and further, that Animal Control consider an on-call Animal Control Officer for nights and weekends due to the increasing amount of calls pertaining to dog issues and other animal related issues in the City. (Ref’d 7/21/16) (8/29/16-returned unsigned by the Mayor) (2/15/18-tabled)

	10. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting, that the Mayor and the Police Chief increase patrols and surveillance in the area of Cedar, Chancery and Parker Streets, including the outside perimeter of said area; due to the increasing criminal activity, 12 episodes of shots fired at victims and more importantly to bring some relief to the residents of this area that have been plagued by this violence since the beginning of the year; and further, that a clear message be sent to the criminals, that it will not be tolerated in the City, we will do everything possible to resolve what has been happening; furthermore that the Police Department consider doing a clean sweep of this area and any other area of the City that is being plagued by this violence and criminal activity affecting the quality of life in these neighborhoods and that the City use any resource needed including outside agencies, State Police, ATF, FBI available to the City. (Ref’d 8/16/18) (9/19/18-returned unsigned by the Mayor)

	11. COMMUNICATION, Councillor Gomes, submitting the Police Department’s Organizational Assessment and Strategic Plan, done by the Public Safety Strategies Group dated November 18, 2018. (To be Referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods.) (Ref’d 12/13/18)

	12. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting, that the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods meet with a Representative of Avigilon Surveillance Camera Company, a Representative of America Security the company responsible for the installation and monitoring of City Hall surveillance cameras, Police Chief Cordeiro, Department of Facilities and Fleet Management Director Champagne, and a Representative of the Mayor’s Office for the purpose of discussing the break-in that occurred at City Hall, and whether all security and camera systems were in working order; further, requesting that outside cameras be installed at the north west, north east, south east and south west corners of City Hall; and further, that a surveillance monitor system be placed in City Hall in an assigned office of the Police Officer for the day, along with a recording system that records all movements of the interior and exterior of City Hall 24 hours of day, seven days a week, and all cameras be hooked up to the Police Department’s surveillance system. (To Referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods.) (Ref’d 2/28/19) (5/22/19-tabled 45 days)

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