Good evening my name is Rick Omilian, co-chair of the ISAAC Gun Violence Prevention Task
Force. One year ago, we stood before the community at the ISAAC Issues Convention and shared statistics and news headlines about gun violence in Kalamazoo County in 2019. Gun violence within our community has shifted under Covid-19. Through Oct. 13, 2020 there have been 61 non-fatal shootings in Kalamazoo and 11 deaths that have been a result of gun violence. In all of 2019, there were 31 non-fatal shootings in the city and seven shooting deaths. This past weekend has brought another death and injury in Kalamazoo. In the past three years, firearm suicides continue to comprise approximately 60% of firearm deaths in the county. We cannot ignore any of these firearm deaths. We must act to change this.

Hi my name is Ed Genesis, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. Numbers and statistics do not tell the whole story of what continual gun violence does to families and the community as a whole. Too many dreams have been permanently deferred due to gun violence. Hopes are being crushed by gun violence. Living with persistent gun violence is the equivalent of living in a war zone. Gun violence causes trauma to our bodies and minds. Those we lose to gun violence are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, loved ones…. This is why we need to have conversations about Trauma. Please watch for the following community activities:

October 24th Walk to End Gun Violence at 11:30am meeting at Ferrell Park ending at LaCrone Park for a Mural Unveiling to commemorate those we have lost due to gun violence.
October 30th It’s a T.R.I.P. (Trauma Reduced Informed Practices) virtual event from 6-8pm. Registration information can be found in the chat. This will be a panel discussion with community leaders, featuring keynote speaker, Dr. Jess Clemons.

My name is Tami Rey, co-chair of the ISAAC Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. Please watch and listen to members of your community who have been impacted by gun violence. Thank you to those who shared their stories with us. As a Task Force we are committed to working together with other organizations and community members to reduce gun violence. We believe it is critically important to work with Law Enforcement officials to deepen our trust, communication, brainstorming and gun violence prevention work together.

 

My name is Wendy Flora, a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. Tonight we have a number of Asks of Community Law Enforcement Leads, Candidates and our Prosecutor. We believe what we are asking will strengthen mutual trust, build our capacity to communicate openly and effectively and allow the community to work more collaboratively with law enforcement and others for the safety, health and welfare of
everyone.

Wendy: When we call your name please unmute your microphone and respond yes. You will be given 30 seconds to respond with your support. Please keep your responses to 30 seconds.
Ask #1 – Prosecutor Jeff Getting we have three questions for you:

1. Do you commit to attend/view the, It’s a T.R.I.P. (Trauma Reducing Informed Practice) panel and keynote virtual event that focuses on trauma and violence on October 30th at 6pm and to debrief with the ISAAC GVPTF?
2. Do you commit to monthly meetings with impacted neighbor representatives, who are living in neighborhoods with high gun violence to discuss and brainstorm around decreasing gun violence?
3. Do you commit to exploring, within the community, provision of longer-term trauma services to victims of gun violence and their families? Also the families of those charged/convicted of this violence?

Ask #2 – KDPS – Chief Coakley, we have four questions for you:

1. Do you commit to attend/view the, It’s a T.R.I.P. (Trauma Reducing Informed Practice) panel and keynote virtual event that focuses on trauma and violence on October 30th at 6pm and to debrief with the ISAAC GVPTF?
2. Do you commit to attending or assigning a Command Staff to attend neighborhood monthly meetings for information sharing, discussion of concerns, and updates around gun violence?
3. Do you commit to either attend or assign a Command Staff to regularly attend, as one representative from KDPS, the Kalamazoo Advocates and Leaders for Police and Community Trust (ALPACT) Meetings?
4. Do you commit to assign at least 1-2 Community Police Officer(s), as representatives, to attend the first part of the ISAAC’s Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Monthly Meetings?

Ask #3 – We have three questions for Sheriff Rick Fuller, Sheriff Candidate Shannon Bagley and Manager Dexter Mitchell:
Due to a death in the family, Sheriff Fuller is unable to attend tonight. He did respond with an email which I will read following the reading of the questions and those who responded Yes.

1. Do you commit to attend/view the, It’s a T.R.I.P. (Trauma Reducing Informed Practice) panel and keynote virtual event that focuses on trauma and violence on October 30th at 6pm and to debrief with the ISAAC Gun Violence Prevention Task Force?
2. Do you commit to make your agency’s annual report easily available to our local community by uploading onto your website, as well as offering opportunities for asking questions?
3. Do you commit on behalf of the County/Township to work collaboratively with the ISAAC GVPTF in developing, disseminating, analyzing and debriefing a Trust Survey or Safety survey?

Response from Sheriff Fuller:
ISAAC is a community partner of mine and I will be in attendance for the October 22, 2020 meeting.
As a community partner of ISAAC I commit:

• To attend and view the (Trauma Reducing Informed Practice) virtual event.
• Making The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office annual report available on the Sheriff’s Office website.
• To continue working with ISAAC/GVPTF by helping with a trust or safety survey.

The ISAAC Gun Violence Prevention Task force thanks all of our law enforcement partners for their commitments tonight.