The IRPS committee voted to defer for 30 days a resolution asking county leadership to establish an LGBTQ+ police liaison position and to require hate-crimes identification training for law enforcement. The resolution sponsor said the measure is intended to be proactive and to make marginalized communities more comfortable reporting incidents; other commissioners asked that any final proposal consider multiple liaison positions or a department‑led strategy rather than singling out one protected class.

District Attorney DA Boston told the committee the DA’s office already maintains a victim-advocate who serves as a liaison for LGBTQIA+ victims and that the office engages at community events and has conducted targeted training. She recommended adopting best practices, citing an Out to Protect three‑day training program that includes a train‑the‑trainer day, a liaison program day and a hate‑crimes investigations day.

The police chief described investigative responsibility for hate incidents, saying the Special Victims Unit handles predominantly hate-crime matters and intelligence/homeland security staff investigate special-interest cases. The chief also said staffing and resources are constrained and recommended ensuring broad inclusivity and training for all officers while remaining open to dedicated liaison positions if resources allow.

Commissioners discussed a recent incident at the Tucker Library that is under internal affairs review and reviewed data presented by the police showing 15 reported hate incidents to police from Jan. 1, 2024, through the approximate August review period; that total covered all protected classes and was not broken down in the meeting by classification. One commissioner moved to deny the resolution; that motion failed. A subsequent motion to defer the item for 30 days, with the sponsor offering to work with committee members on revisions and to ask the police department to develop a strategy identifying liaison priorities, was seconded and carried by voice vote.

The deferral asks staff to return with a revised resolution and suggested that any future text focus on a department-developed plan, community input and training aligned with best practices. The committee did not set a specific date beyond the 30‑day deferral and did not adopt a final liaison policy during the meeting.