Change of focus for Human Rights office
0 Comments | Telegraph – Herald; Dubuque, Iowa, Sep 3, 2010 | by ANDY PIPER
Dubuque Human Rights Director Kelly Larson realizes the reorganization of her department’s duties isn’t necessarily what the public envisioned when the Safe Community Task Force was formed in September 2009.
The City Council recently approved the Neighborhood Engagement and Social Capital subcommittee’s recommendation to free Human Rights from its investigative and enforcement roles. Although the department remains the contact point for individuals filing discrimination claims, the legal aspects will be handled by the City Attorney’s Office. Larson said Human Rights can then increase its presence in the community through mediation and diversity training.
While that isn’t the image of a “Tough On Crime” billboard, Larson said Human Rights has a role to play in ensuring a safe community.
“I think one of the things to remember is that the Safe Community Task Force took a big-picture view,” Larson said.
Larson said the task force determined its mission was to tackle the issue of violent crime, and in many ways it is easier to solve questions of enforcement. People generally agree they want police on the street making quick arrests, she said. The issues of prevention and intervention are complicated
because opinions vary widely.
“Anytime you’re looking at conflict that can escalate into violence, you need things in place that prevent it from happening in the first place,” Larson said. “I think where we fit in is on the prevention side. I think people need to remember that it’s one piece of a big puzzle, and that we need all of the pieces in place in order to create safety.”
City Attorney Barry Lindahl said the reorganization will have minimal impact on his department because so few discrimination claims reach litigation. The city will sign a consultant that specializes in discrimination investigations and the City Attorney’s Office will handle the handful of cases that reach litigation. All cases will be referred back to Human Rights after a determination is reached.
Larson said Human Rights’ efforts have been hampered because the department cannot effectively provide mediation to individuals and businesses after having ruled on the merits of their particular case.
“You can imagine yourself in a situation where I personally, Kelly Larson, am the person telling you that you don’t have a claim,” Larson said. “Or I’m telling you, ‘Well business, I’m sorry you had to go through this but you win.’ What are the chances I’m the person you want to sit down with and talk about how can we prevent this from happening in the future? It’s a service we offer now, but few people use it.”
Larson plans to take the department’s mediation and diversity training skills into the community and into neighborhoods, which is what Neighborhood Engagement and Social Capital envisions.
“We feel our subcommittee was unique because the mere title said to us that we need to look at the neighborhood and see what we can do to enrich it and maybe change the quality of life,” said Bob Krayer, a subcommittee member.
The subcommittee circulated a questionnaire through downtown and North End neighborhoods asking what people liked and what needed improvement. It also asked if people were willing to volunteer for neighborhood projects.
Larson said the extent of the department’s outreach largely depends on people’s willingness to participate.
“We can do it much like we do with an organization, only it would be with a group of residents,” Larson said. “We need people to step forward and say, ‘I really think we could use something like this.’”
Larson said creating the right conditions for people to communicate is important when emotions run high and opinions are strong.
“We have to get away from the blaming and criticizing, and focus more on what can we learn and address the real issues,” Larson said. “We have the ability to allow people to have some of these hard conversations without making it personal.”
Krayer, who is an administrator with Dubuque Area Congregations United, said the city has approached the organization about getting involved in community-building activities, such as last weekend’s ice cream social in Comiskey Park, which was organized by church groups.
“We feel it is a very viable effort and that we need to pursue this,” Krayer said. “If we get more people involved in activities, we will have more people who understand other cultures better
diversion safe