Durham City Council meetings
Upcoming City Council Meetings will be held on Mondays, February 4 and 18, and March 4, at 7pm, at City Hall (101 City Hall Plz). City Council Work Sessions will be held on Thursdays, February 7 and 21 at 1pm.
The regular Monday, February 18 City Council meeting will be preceded by Mayor Steve Schewel’s State of the City Address from 7 to 7:30pm in City Hall (101 City Hall Plaza). Call 919-560-1200 for more info. Durham City-County Planning meeting
The Durham City-County Planning Department held its latest meeting on January 9. Click here to watch the meeting.
Click here to see the agenda for the upcoming Monday, February 4 meeting. Durham: Gun Violence Prevention Consortium
Moms Demand Action–NC, Families Moving Forward, the NC Council of Churches, Durham County Commissioner Wendy Jacobs, and NC Senator Floyd B McKissick Jr are all teaming up to cosponsor Durham’s Gun Violence Prevention Consortium on Wednesday, February 13, 6–8pm, at Trinity United Methodlist Church (215 N Church St). Local elected officials Durham Police Chief Cerelyn J Davis, Durham County Sheriff Clarence F Birkhead, and others have been invited to engage community members in a discussion about gun violence and to figure out solutions. Free admission; snacks and childcare will be provided. Click here to register.
A Groundwater Approach to Racial Equity
The Racial Equity Institute presents A Groundwater Approach to Racial Equity on Thursday, February 21, 9am–noon, at the Carolina Theatre (309 W Morgan St). The Kenan Distinguished Lecture in Ethics will feature Cornel West from Harvard University and Robert George from Princeton University, who will discuss friendship and faith across political lines. Free admission; click here for more info.
Save Yours Day
Save Yours Day, a leadership conference sponsored by the local Muslim community, will be held at the Millennium Hotel (2800 Campus Walk Dr) on Saturday, February 23, 1–5pm. It’s free of charge and open to people of all (or no) faiths. Contact Abdul Waheed at 919-282-7110 or awaheed@duke.edu for more info.
Durham Police 3rd-quarter report
The Durham Police Department released its 2018 Third-Quarter Report in November of last year. Read it below:
Big grant for the Criminal Justice Resource Center
The US Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance for Improving Reentry for Adults with Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Illness has awarded a $749,000 grant to Durham County’s Criminal Justice Resource Center (326 E Main St). A 3-year program will be set up to provide standardized screening and assessment, to work in partnership with local organizations to provide collaborative comprehensive case management, and to work with individuals both before and after release from prison to help guide them toward a successful life and away from crime, substance abuse, and despair. Click here to learn more about the CJRC and its programs and services.
Help protect the kids
Many of us are still reeling from the aftermath of the Parkland, Florida school shooting. And many of us want to do something, but don’t know where to go or how to help. If you’re interested in demanding common-sense gun legislation, watch my interview with Jessica Hulick from Moms Demand Action.
Mobile Justice smartphone app
There’s a new smartphone app called Mobile Justice NC that you can use to monitor and record police actions. We have the right to film the police, but always have your safety in mind when doing so. If an officer says that you’re in the way and tells you to get back, that might not the time to stand your ground and to tell him or her that you’re acting within your rights. Learn how to use the zoom-in feature so you can step out of the way and continue filming.
If you’re an activist or member of the media, download this free app and get familiar with Mobile Justice NC’s four features now (as opposed to during the heat of a protest or police action):
Click here to watch a short but in-depth explainer on how the app works: (O clique aquí para más information sobre el app Justícia Móvil en español.) Durham Police Department Citizen’s Complaint Form
You can make a formal complaint online by filling out the blanks of this form and sending it in. Click here for instructions and to fill out the Durham Police Department Citizen’s Complaint Form.
Durham Police Department Commendation Form
You can also single out an officer who went out of his or her way to be helpful/come to your aid. Click here for instructions and to fill out the Durham Police Department Commendation Form.
ACLU interview
Mike Meno, communications director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s North Carolina office, was a recent guest on TV Skywriter. Learn more about the ACLU work at www.acluofnc.org.
NC Lawyer Referral Service
The North Carolina Bar Association can help you find an attorney to represent you. Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) attorneys can’t charge more than $50 for initial consultation meetings of up to 30 minutes. None are able to take clients on a pro bono (free) basis. Visit ncfindalawyer.org or call 800-662-7660 (or 919-677-8574 if you’re out of state).
NC SAVAN
Crime victims and survivors often feel like they’re sitting on pins and needles while waiting to hear about upcoming trials and to get news on the status of perpetrators. NC SAVAN (North Carolina Statewide Automated Victim Assistance and Notification) is set up to keep them informed. A 24-hour, toll-free telephone number, 877-627-2826, is available for learning about an offender’s status and about victim-assistance resources. You can also call that number to register for the automated victim notification service. Once you’re registered, you can choose whether to get updates via automated telephone messages or emails; you can also download an app for your smart phone. Notifications can be delivered in English or Spanish, or you can have them translated into one of more than 100 available languages.
Click here to register for NC SAVAN or to search for offender information. |
Durham Police Department info
|