Diversity and Inclusion in Englewood. Our City Commitment to Advancing Racial Equity.

Over the past several years, cities across the United States began to implement diversity and inclusion programs designed to meet goals including a diverse workforce and ensuring outreach occurs in all corners of the community.

The City created a Diversity & Inclusion Taskforce to ensure that different viewpoints, opinions, and thoughts are being recognized. The Diversity and Inclusion taskforce task proposes multiple projects, ranging from a book club to cross walks with diversity themes, that will be implemented over Fiscal Year 2021. 

Outcomes

The Diversity and Inclusion Task Force focused on achieving two outcomes:

• Promotion of awareness and understanding of the value of diversity; and
• Improvement of recruitment and retention of diverse employees.

Projects

The Diversity and Inclusion Task Force proposed six key projects, which the city is currently working to implement:

• Join the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) and participate in programs and events
• Commemorate the celebration of diversity and inclusion related days or months through flags on city properties and banners in visible locations in the community
• Incorporate diversity and inclusion themes in painted crosswalks throughout the community
• Create a City of Englewood employee diversity and inclusion themed book club
• Eliminate gender references in the City of Englewood administrative policies
• Develop diversity and inclusion training and a budget for all City of Englewood employees

Police Reform Task Force

In addition to the projects identified by the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, the City established a Police Reform Task Force in the fall of 2020.  Made up of community members, representatives of stakeholder groups, Police Department employees and City Councilors focused on reviewing:

• Training, hiring, and discipline;
• Use of force policies and procedures; and
• Alternate policing.

The Taskforce followed a four-step decision making process:

• Review existing policies and practices;
• Explore topics thoroughly through conversations and presentations by police and expert sources on the committee;
• Discuss possible changes and amendments to policies, procedures and practices; and
• Seek consensus on recommendations while allowing for dissent.

The Taskforce held its first meeting on Thursday, September 9, 2021 to discuss training, hiring and discipline, followed by a September 16, 2021 meeting on use of force, a September 23, 2021 meeting on use of force, a September 30, 2021 meeting on alternate policing, and October 7, 2021 meeting on homeless service provision and substance abuse, and an October 14, 2021 meeting to review and finalize recommendations.  

In early November 2021, the taskforce released recommendations in four categories:

• Hiring, Training & Discipline
• Use of Force
• Alternate Policing
• Factors Impacting Police Department Operation

The Police Department is now working on implementing the recommendations of the task force. 

Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE):

The Government Alliance for Race and Equity (GARE) is a national organization that provides a framework for municipalities to develop and implement diversity and inclusion plans. The City of Englewood became a member of GARE in late 2020, and plans to participate in training sessions and meetings during 2021 to learn about and implement best practices from other cities.

Implementation:

In January of 2021, the City of Englewood published a two-year Blueprint for Organizational Success (“Blueprint”). The Blueprint includes eleven goal areas and will serve as the city’s internal strategic plan. All projects recommended by the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force are included in the Blueprint, and all are slated to begin in Fiscal Year 2021. Becoming a member of GARE will provide the city with framework and tools needed for the city to begin to implement a plan to implement the additional projects and to implement a variety of activities and projects designed to make Englewood a diverse and inclusive city. 

Book Club: