URBAN LEAGUE LEADERS CONDEMN

RACIALLY-MOTIVATED MASS SHOOTING IN BUFFALO 

 NEW YORK and BUFFALO (May 14, 2022) – National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial and Buffalo Urban League President Thomas Beauford, Jr., issued the following statement in response to the racially-motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket in the heart of its predominantly Black East Side community:

“Our hearts and deepest sympathies are with the families who have lost loved ones to another senseless act of racial violence.  

“As white supremacist hatred has raged out of control over the last few years, social media and gun merchants exploit it for profits, while atrocities and trauma continue to be inflicted on communities of color. 

“We call on state and federal law enforcement to pursue hate crimes charges against the shooter and to pursue policies to prevent arch tragedies in the future. 

“Until we as a nation begin to confront the twin threats of domestic extremism and reckless gun policies as the grave crises they are, innocent people will continue to pay the deadly price. 

National Urban League:
Few Artists Have Contributed More to the Civil Rights Movement than
Sidney Poitier

(Friday, January 7, 2022) – National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial issued the following statement on the death of actor and activist Sidney Poitier:

Few artists have contributed more to the Civil Rights Movement than Sidney Poitier. As an actor, he was determined not to be defined by his race, but he pointedly refused roles that perpetuated negative stereotypes. His charm and grace, both onscreen and off, helped to open hearts and minds as the nation challenged segregation and discrimination.

As the first Black man to win the Academy Award for acting, he blazed a trail for an entire generation of artists and set a standard for excellence that elevated the medium as a whole.

His early support of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating helped make the March on Washington possible and allowed the Freedom Summer volunteers to continue their work after the murders of  James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner. Though he and his close friend Harry Belafonte were chased and threatened by the Ku Klux Klan when they arrived in Mississippi to deliver the money they’d raised, the encounter only strengthened his commitment to racial justice.

Our hearts go out to his family, and we join his many friends and millions of fans around the world in grieving his passing.

New portal makes it easier for diverse vendors to engage with PS&E

KEY POINTS
• The PS&E Supplier Diversity portal is a streamlined way for XBE’s to learn about potential contract opportunities

• Increasing supplier diversity is a key objective that aligns with PS&E’s Social Justice Agenda and prioritizes a more intentional approach to cultivating relationships with a broader set of business owners

INDIANAPOLIS (August 30, 2021) – Diverse business owners now have a streamlined way to engage with Pacers Sports & Entertainment through a new supplier diversity portal that is part of the company’s push to create opportunities for traditionally disenfranchised vendors.

Minority-, women-, LGBTQIA+-, Veteran-, and Disability-owned businesses, known as XBEs, can register to learn about opportunities to contract with PS&E, stay up to date about vendor fairs and other programs, and engage with the organization’s procurement staff specifically focused on increasing supplier diversity. The effort is one of the strategic objectives laid out by PS&E’s Inclusive Excellence Action Committee (IEAC) last July, an employee-led working group that guides the company’s DEI initiatives, and aligns to the five-pillar Social Justice Agenda it established.

“Diversifying our vendor partnerships makes our company stronger and represents important investments in the businesses that support neighborhoods across our city and state,” said Rick Fuson, PS&E President and Chief Operating Officer. “This new portal gives us a more intentional way to ensure we are increasing our supplier diversity, a great step in our continual process of becoming a more equitable organization.”

The goal of developing a world-class supplier diversity program was one of the very first identified by the IEAC, which has included the hiring of purchasing staff with expertise in implementing such programs and new policies to ensure more diverse vendor participation across the organization. Daune Conwell, PS&E’s Senior Procurement Director, was brought in to lead the effort and help XBEs navigate how to do business with the company. She is the first in this newly-created role.

“For many XBEs, the process of competing for work with a company like PS&E can be daunting and difficult to navigate,” said Conwell. “Meeting meaningful supplier diversity goals requires cultivating relationships and communicating continually, and this new tool gives us a more effective way to engage with a broader group of business owners.”

In addition to supplier diversity, other PS&E objectives include committing more than half of all PS&E charitable resources to organizations striving for social justice and delivering diversity, equity, and inclusion training for all employees.

For a detailed look at PS&E’s social justice efforts and the work of the IEAC, please visit www.bankerslifefieldhouse.com/socialjustice.

FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
May 12, 2020

Mayor Hogsett, IMPD provide an update on policing reforms

Use of Force Review Board, body worn cameras seek to improve transparency and accountability

INDIANAPOLIS – May 12, 2020, Mayor Joe Hogsett was joined by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Chief Randal Taylor and President Vop Osili to provide updates on several changes designed to strengthen trust between IMPD and the community, as well as increase transparency in the policing process.

“Every resident of Indianapolis should feel they can depend on our police to protect and serve residents equally under the law,” said Mayor Hogsett. “And our commitment to accountability and transparency will protect good policing as much as it helps uncover abuses should they occur.”

Rollout of body worn cameras

Last year, IMPD conducted a second pilot program to guide implementation of body worn cameras on the department. In the five years since a 2014 pilot did not result in the development of a permanent program, vendor offerings had increased, the City had invested millions of dollars in upgrading public safety technology infrastructure, and body worn camera products had advanced, significantly driving down costs. The second, larger pilot was stakeholder-driven and included a community-facing survey administered by IUPUI, a series of in-person community meetings, and a technology trial on the busiest shift on the largest IMPD districts.

Through this trial process, the ability for decentralized uploading of body worn camera footage as well as the availability of automated recording triggers, which turn the cameras on in certain situations, were identified as priority characteristics for the technology. As a result, Utility has been selected as the preferred vendor for the IMPD body worn camera program.

Following the conclusion of the pilot, Mayor Hogsett and the City-County Council included $1.2 million in the 2020 City-County Budget to fund the rollout of a body worn camera program in the second half of the year. Implementation of the program will begin in Quarter 3 of this year, with a goal to outfit 100 officers with the technology per week. The department continues to analyze national best practices and incorporate these with feedback from the pilot program to finalize a body worn camera policy for IMPD that maximizes the benefits of the technology for both officers and the public. A final policy will be made available to the public before rollout of the technology to officers begins.

Creation of the Use of Force Review Board

The Use of Force Review Board will have authority to review uses of force by IMPD officers, whether a physical altercation, deployment of a taser, or use of a firearm. The board will be made up of merit-ranked officers as well as civilian members appointed by the Chief of Police, including one nominated by the Mayor of Indianapolis, one nominated by the President of the City-County Council, and one nominated by members of the department. Prior to appointment, civilian members will be required to complete training that covers use of force, IMPD general orders, applicable Merit Laws, and ride-alongs. Continuing education will also be required. Civilian appointees will be voting members and will have full authority to participate in hearings.

Similar to the existing Firearms Review Board, and consistent with the Merit Law, the Use of Force Review Board will not have the authority to recommend discipline but will instead make an advisory finding which will be limited to determining whether the officer’s actions were within departmental policy. As it will be replacing the Firearms Review Board, the Use of Force Review Board will conduct a mandatory hearing for any use of deadly force against a person. Following the findings of the Board, the Chief of Police will have final authority to recommend discipline, subject to the oversight of the Civilian Police Merit Board. This proposal will go before the IMPD General Orders Committee in the next 15 days.

Use of Force Policy Update

IMPD’s Policy and Planning Division has been working over the last two years with legal experts to craft an updated use of force policy that incorporates national best practices as well as the local legal framework. As part of this process, visual documents for learning have been created and incorporated directly into the policy, and an updated training curriculum will be deployed at the training academy. The updated policy is expected to go before the IMPD General Orders Committee in the next 30 days.

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