Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council accepts DOJ de-escalation training grant with guardrails after review
Summary
After initial questions and a short continuance, council accepted a federal Safer Outcomes de-escalation training grant, attaching a cover letter reserving the city's rights and directing the city attorney to return if federal conditions change.
The council considered a U.S. Department of Justice grant to support de-escalation and crisis response training for city personnel. Council members pressed staff and the city attorney on whether the federal grant might attach conditions related to immigration cooperation or restrictions on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) activities following litigation over similar DOJ grant conditions in other jurisdictions.
Staff and the city attorney said a preliminary injunction currently prevents the federal government from imposing those specific conditions; the recommended approach was to accept the grant with a cover letter making the city's position explicit and to reserve the right to decline or return any unspent funds if the court later lifts the injunction and the Department of Justice attempts to attach conditions inconsistent with city policy.
Council initially continued the item to get more clarity at one point, then reconsidered and voted to accept the grant with the city attorney and city manager instructed to monitor litigation, to include a reservation of rights in the acceptance letter, and to return to council if federal terms change or require the city to take actions contrary to local policy. Vote result: majority approved, Council Member Hall voted no on the final acceptance because of perceived risk of future federal conditions.
