News Track: SET Task Force close to final report

BACKGROUND

In late January 2016, the City Council formed the Safe, Equitable and Thriving Communities Task Force. Co-chaired by Mary Wilcynski and Stacey Walker, the task force was charged with identifying and addressing the roots of gun violence and poverty in the community.

WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE

The leaders of the Safe, Equitable and Thriving Communities Task Force say they hope to present their final recommendations to address issues about community gun violence and poverty next month.

Members of the SET Task Force met Thursday to discuss revisions to a final draft of the group's report. Wilcynski said the plan is to finalize the report on Monday, send it to a publisher and be prepared to present it to the Cedar Rapids City Council during its Feb. 14 meeting.

Presentations to the Cedar Rapids school district and Linn County Board of Supervisors would follow, Wilcynski said.

'It's really rewarding to know we're at this point,” she said.

The task force - made up of 19 community leaders - met monthly throughout 2016. Six subcommittees - education, housing, public safety, economic opportunities, programming and community outreach - met in between those monthly meetings, Wilcynski said. Those subcommittees have come back to the task force with recommendations to address specific issues.

While 19 people made up the actual task force, Wilcynski said the subcommittees called on many others for their expertise and opinions.

For instance, the public safety subcommittee meeting often drew 20-25 people, Wilcynski said.

'I think what people won't know is the number of people in the community that have played a part in this,” she said.

While the report has not been finalized, some of the suggested recommendations include:

' Exposing grade school students to career and education information at an early age to help guide their career development.

' Adapting recommendations from President Barack Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which include building trust, community policing, crime reduction and officer training and education. Some of these elements already are in place.

' Restricting children's access to guns.

' Coordinating and unifying affordable housing efforts.

' Completing an audit of all community programs in order to better raise awareness about those initiatives.

The SET Task Force will disband upon presentation of its report. However, Walker and Wilcynski said they hope that means the beginning of the next phase in addressing issues of violence and poverty in Cedar Rapids.

'We anticipate and would hope that that's the beginning, not the end,” she said.

l Comments: (319) 398-8238; lee.hermiston@thegazette.com