HRP Proposals Have Trouble

HRP Proposals Have Trouble

Two Human Rights Party Erasures were shot down with little and no consideration by City Council Monday night.

HRP Councilwoman Kathleen Kozachenko, Second Ward, failed in an attempt to place a proposal for community control of the Police Department on the April, 1976, city ballot. Another proposal to increase fines for reinspection of rental property was referred for consideration later.

The police control measure would establish an 11-member board, five members to be elected and five selected from groups who historically have been "the disproportionate victims of crime and/or with whom the police department has historically had poor relations.” One police officer below the rank of sergeant would round out the board.

The board, each member being paid $3,000, would have the authority to direct, coordinate and supervise the activities of the Police Department, under the HRP proposal. It also would have allowed the board to hire and fire officers and the chief of police, have free access to all police records, and make them public "taking care not to violate individual privacy.”

The proposal was moved by Kozachenko, but failed to get a second from any other council member. "Let’s recognize the fact you don’t want to face the issue...It’s obvious no one else has a commitment for this,” she said.

The inspection fee resolution was referred to the city’s Building and Safety Department for a recommendation on what fees would be reasonable. The HRP’s resolution would have charged landlords $100 if a code deficiency was not corrected the first time it was reinspected, $200 for the second reinspection, and all subsequent charge for inspections where no improvements were made would have doubled each time.

Current reinspection fees are $20.