Tag: Engagement

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Los Gatos police release slate of ‘community engagement’ events

Los Gatos police release slate of ‘community engagement’ events

In an effort to boost relationships with the community, the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department is hosting a series of community policing initiatives throughout 2022.

The department announced last week that it will offer events like Coffee with a Cop, Walk with a Cop and the Community Police Academy to interact more with the community in “non-crisis situations.”

The first of these events, Coffee with a Cop, was set for May 3 at the Los Gatos Civic Center, where residents could meet with police officers over coffee to discuss interests, concerns and public safety insights.

Community policing is “a framework for establishing trust, exchange of information and transparency, and a positive engagement between law enforcement and the community,” the department said.

Police departments across the country are facing lack of trust from their communities. A 2021 national Gallup poll showed about 27% of Black Americans and 56% of White Americans had confidence in the police. These numbers are up from 2020’s record-low confidence rating of 48% among all Americans, marking the first time in Gallup’s 27-year history that confidence dipped below 50%.

Police Chief Jamie Field took over the department amid a dispatcher shortage and several officer retirements earlier this year. She said in January that one of her top priorities as chief would be community engagement.

The department also has two golden labradoodles, Gary and JJ, for its Therapy Canine Program. The dogs promote wellness in the department, are a resource for officers and assist in the response and treatment of trauma and mental health, as well as community outreach and engagement.

The dogs will be out at several community events this year, including a session on May 16 at Venture School.

The department will offer its first classroom-style Community Police Academy this fall for residents in Los Gatos and Monte Sereno, who can participate in presentations and demonstrations to learn more about the department.

Topics include patrol operations, laws of arrest, investigations, records processing, traffic law, communications, defensive tactics and de-escalation and supportive services. The goal is to increase education and understanding between the community and the department.

May through October, the department will host Walk with a Cop, which is modeled after the nationwide program to bring the police and community together in non-crisis situations.

“By walking through a neighborhood with community members, an officer can truly see the neighborhoods and business districts they protect and serve through the eyes and experiences of the community,” the department said in a press release. Any resident can sign up for a walk with a police officer online.

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Superintendent Navarro hosting strategic plan engagement events for staff, parents and community

Superintendent Navarro hosting strategic plan engagement events for staff, parents and community

Superintendent Navarro hosting strategic plan engagement events for staff, parents and community

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Superintendent Maria Navarro, Ed.D., is hosting several upcoming community engagement opportunities about the new CCPS Strategic Plan. At the events, Superintendent Navarro will share a presentation about focal priority areas, goals, strategies and assessments relating to school system priorities to ensure all students are prepared for life post-graduation.

The schedule below outlines both in-person and virtual events. Those identified for staff may include different messaging than events labeled for parent and community member audiences.

Virtual events will run through Zoom and include a question-and-answer format using the chat feature. The presentation will be posted to the school system website, www.ccboe.com, at the conclusion of the events.

Staff engagement events

  • Wednesday, April 27, 11 a.m., boardroom, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building (for Starkey Building staff).
  • Wednesday, May 4, 4:30 p.m., boardroom, Starkey Building.
  • Monday, May 9, 5:30 p.m., virtual through Zoom.
    • Event Zoom link. Users must login to an active Zoom account or create a Zoom account to access the event.
    • Passcode is 526808.
    • Meeting will feature chat question-and-answer session.

Parent/community engagement events

  • Monday, May 2, 6:30 p.m., boardroom, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building.
  • Thursday, May 12, 6:30 p.m., virtual for parents and community members.
    • Event Zoom link. Users must login to an active Zoom account or create a Zoom account to access the event.
    • Passcode is 554048.
    • Meeting will feature chat question-and-answer session. 

Staff, parents, students and community members can follow progress of the strategic plan on the school system website at www.ccboe.com or Superintendent Navarro on Twitter @navarrosupt.

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 27,000 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event. CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).

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Regulator’s notifiable events regime could be delayed

Regulator's notifiable events regime could be delayed

The Department for Work and Pensions launched its consultation in September last year, and experts warned at the time that the new notifiable events regime, which sets out the types of event trustees and employers are obliged to inform the regulator about, could be more impactful than its controversial criminal powers.

The DWP proposed adding two new employer-related notifiable events: the first was the sale, by an employer, of a ‘material proportion’ of its business or assets, defined as accounting for 25 per cent or more of its annual revenue or the gross value of its assets.

The second was “the intended granting or extending of a relevant security by the employer over its assets”, an arrangement where, should the employer become insolvent, a secured creditor would be ranked above the pension scheme in a priority list for debt recovery.

The draft regulations explain that ‘relevant security’ is a level of security of more than 25 per cent of the employers’ consolidated revenues or its gross assets.

The extent of the changes, and the significant penalties for non-compliance, led the Association of Consulting Actuaries to call in October for “comprehensive guidance” to be published before the new regime is introduced.

Non-compliance could result in a fine of up to £1mn and, where false or misleading information has been provided, prosecution under the Pension Schemes Act 2021.

Despite the potentially significant implications of the new events, which were expected to come into force on April 6, the government has yet to publish a response to the consultation, which closed in October. 

In a blog post, law firm Herbert Smith Freehills’ regional head of practice Samantha Brown, partners Michael Aherne and Rachel Pinto, and professional support consultant Tim Smith noted that the changes “have been trailed for some time”.

They said: “The government has still not issued a response to its consultation and the final amending regulations are still awaited. It is unclear what has caused this delay.

“The proposed changes to the pensions notifiable events regime have been trailed for some time. Therefore, we still expect changes along the lines of those set out in the government’s consultation to be introduced. However, we cannot be certain when this will be.”

The DWP has been approached for comment.