Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Make Significant Moves On Antiracist Policy And Support Communities Impacted by Trauma

Progress in Establishing an Antiracist LA County Policy Agenda

LOS ANGELES — Responding to Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’ motion, Establishing an Antiracist Los Angeles County Policy Agenda, the County’s Chief Executive Office announced Sept. 29, the search for a Racial Equity Executive Director and launched an Antiracism, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative website so the public can share their ideas for addressing institutional racism in the nation’s most populous county.

Supervisor Ridley-Thomas praised these initial steps and stressed the need to keep working with urgency. He noted that, in just the brief period since he introduced the motion, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to take a higher toll on people of color and protestors have continued to fill the streets in response to the separate police shootings of Dijon Kizzee and Jacob Blake, and the lack of indictments in Breonna Taylor’s case.

On July 21, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Supervisor Ridley-Thomas’ motion that called for declaring racism a matter of public health, prioritizing the elimination of racism within Los Angeles County, and highlighting the need to examine and eradicate policies and processes that prevent African Americans from advancement.

The motion also directed the CEO and other departments to promote and support policies that would achieve more equitable outcomes for African Americans in the areas of education, housing, mental health, employment, and the criminal justice system.Today, Acting Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport Sept 29, gave the board its first report back on the county’s antiracism efforts, laying out the essential components and initial framework for developing a strategic plan and policy platform in four phases, to be completed by June 2021.

Earlier this month, LA County initiated a national search for an Executive Director of Racial Equity who “will establish, support, lead, and manage efforts to identify and eliminate structural and systemic racism in those areas where the county has control or influence, such as county employment, provision of county services, and contracting.” The executive director will also be a “visionary leader” who will “champion the elimination of institutional racism while also promoting efforts to deepen the county’s work on diversity and inclusion.”LA County also launched the Antiracism, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative website to be a platform for outreach and engagement. People can visit the website to provide feedback on the County’s efforts and sign up for upcoming opportunities for stakeholder and community conversations.

Board Approves Motion to Make Further Investments in Violence Prevention and Resources to Support Communities Impacted by Trauma

LOS ANGELES — Amid an unprecedented increase in local tensions surrounding the recent deaths of Andres Guardado and Dijon Kizzee, the Board of Supervisors Sept. 29, voted unanimously to implement the Office of Violence Prevention’s (OVP) strategic plan and retool the Family Assistance Program—motions led by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and co-authored by Supervisor Kuehl. The two initiatives will help to expand community investment and well-being and offer relief to families who have lost loved-ones to deputy-involved shootings.

There has been a growing public demand for an equitable response to violence prevention and interventions that address the systematic biases and inequities that cause disproportionate health, economic and socio-cultural impacts. In the motion, to  implement a strategic plan for the Office of Violence Prevention, as well as create a community-based crisis response system, the Board is working towards establishing a coordinated community-based response to incidents of violence, such as homicides, shootings, and sexual and domestic assault to prevent and interrupt cycles of violence before they happen.

Over the span of 15 months, more than 14 victims have died at the hands of Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputies. To lessen the burden of tragedy that families face in the difficult moments after the death of a loved-one in a deputy involved shooting the Board is taking steps to secure and enhance the Family Assistance Program (FAP). Created by the Board of Supervisors based upon the recommendation of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, the FAP works to counteract the trauma of loss that is compounded by a lack of clear communication.

“When a family loses a loved one as a result of the fatal use of force by law enforcement, it always devastates friends and family members, and has a deeply destructive impact on community relationships with law enforcement,” said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl.” The Family Assistance Program, an innovative idea that emerged from discussions at the Civilian Oversight Commission, provides compassionate communication and trauma-informed support to those families. With this motion, we are asking for an assessment of its effectiveness, improvements that may be needed, and the identification of funding to sustain it.”

Among the key elements of the FAP is the employment of “advocates” to be present during next-of-kin notifications to provide crisis intervention and grief counseling, as well as to serve as liaisons between the Sheriff’s Department and other County departments as needed. The motion seeks to reinforce this valuable community resource so that it is available in the future for impacted families in their critical moment of need.