Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Attorney’s Office

TO:	Diane Stoddard, Interim City Manager
FROM:	Maria Kaminska, Assistant City Attorney
CC: DATE:	Toni Wheeler, City Attorney Tarik Khatib, Chief of Police June 10, 2015
RE:	Racial and other biased-based policing

Background

In 2005, the City Commission adopted Ordinance 7936 which established a Lawrence Citizen Advisory Board to advise and assist the City and the Lawrence Police Department in policy development, education, community outreach, and communications related to racial profiling. That Board was established pursuant to K.S.A. 22-4610. At this time, the Board requests that its name be changed to the Citizen Advisory Board for Fair and Impartial Policing to more accurately and descriptively reflect the Board’s purpose. Ordinance 9124 reflects that proposed amendment.

Since Ordinance 7936 was adopted, the Kansas Legislature amended the relevant statutes to encompass not only racial profiling, but other biased-based policing as well which includes additional categories like ethnicity, national origin, and gender. See K.S.A. 22-4606(d).

Additionally under the law, agencies are required to submit to the Attorney General an annual report related to racial and other biased-based policing by July 31, rather than January 31 as previously required. Ordinance No. 9124 updates the City Code provisions to incorporate the legislative changes by referencing the applicable statute, K.S.A. 22-4610(d)(2).

Ordinance 9124 makes all of the aforementioned changes to the language in City of Lawrence, Kan., Code §§ 1-2501, 1-2502, and 1-2503 (January 1, 2015) so that the local language is consistent with state statute.

Action

Adopt on first reading Ordinance No. 9124 renaming the Lawrence Citizen Advisory Board to the Citizen Advisory Board for Fair and Impartial Policing, and amending the code provisions related thereto, if appropriate.