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PAGE 8 J ANUARY 9 , 2020 F R O M T H E F R O N T PA G E • M O R E T H I S W E E K YE L LOW SPR INGS NEWS I N T H E G L E N • A “New Year, New Habits” hike will be held Thursday, Jan. 9, 4:30–5:30 p.m. The hike is the first in a series of bi-monthly hikes to be held throughout the year, adjusting the distance and speed of the hikes according to each group’s ability. The hikes will depart from Trailside Museum. • A hot chocolate and full moon hike will be held Friday, Jan. 10, 7–8:30 p.m. Hikers will meet at Trailside Museum for hot choc- olate around the Trailside fire before taking a walk with naturalist Paul Sampson on the Inman Trail. Cost is $5 for nonmembers. • Project FeederWatch will be held Sat- urday and Sunday, Jan. 11 and 12, 9 a.m.– noon at Trailside Museum. Participants will learn to identify common species while tracking feeder visitors. The event is part of a citizen science initiative of the Cornell Ornithology Lab, and is free. • The Citizens’ Climate Lobby will hold an organizing meeting on Saturday, Jan. 11, 12:30–2 p.m. in the Vernet Auditorium. The meeting will take place in two parts: a nationally known expert will speak by video conference, and local activists will take time to make plans for building a political will for a livable climate. a complex case. “There were some facts that were dis- covered in the process that I, or someone else on the team, might have not seen,” Salmerón said. Looking ahead, Village leaders sug- gested the process be formalized in policy and the pool of citizens on the committee be broadened. Council Vice President Marianne Mac- Queen added that she hopes the local police disciplinary process can be aimed at changing an officer’s behavior, not just punishing them. “The impact of this is to move toward learning and changing behavior, which doesn’t necessarily come out of being pun- ished,” she said. Citizen committee findings In the early morning of Aug. 28, 2019, Charles and Meister were dispatched to a local residence after the YSPD received a 911 call from a woman who said she was being attacked. There the officers found “two people were involved in a domestic dispute that became physical,” according to the incident report, and investigated further. However, during the call the officers disagreed about whether the suspected perpetrator’s actions met the legal criteria for domestic violence, according to the ad hoc committee’s report. While Charles found there was probable cause to justify arresting and charging the suspect with domestic violence and assault, Meister said the facts did not sup- port such a charge because “the individu- als involved did not meet the legal defini- tion of family or household members,” the report stated. “Our assessment is that the situation came down to a lack of clarification and common understanding about the poli- cies...” the ad hoc committee found, refer- ring to state and local policies related to domestic violence cases. Also complicating the matter was that during the call, another domestic violence in progress response came in, the report noted. “This could have created a distraction and appeared to leave the discussion between the two officers unresolved,” the ad hoc committee report stated. After Charles left, Meister, believing his supervisor agreed to his plan to charge both people with “simple assault” at a later time, allowed them to leave the scene. Charles, for his part, did not direct Meis- ter to arrest the suspect or file charges that evening, the ad hoc committee noted. How- ever, at the end of his shift, Charles shared with his supervisor, Sgt. Watson, that he should have handled the case differently. “Commendably, Corporal Charles reported the events through the chain of command,” the report stated. “He took responsibility for the decision to not file charges that evening.” Following YSPD leadership’s involve- ment in the case, Meister eventually filed domestic violence and assault charges against the suspect, a village resident. In addition to inter views, the citizen group also reviewed narrative reports and policy documents and watched the cruiser video, according to its report. Officer disciplines After the ad hoc citizen committee submitted its report to Salmerón in early December, the Village manager rendered his final disciplines in the matter. The first discipline, for Charles, came down in early September. It was then that Watson gave Charles a verbal reprimand, which is the first step in the Village’s “pro- gressive discipline” process. Charles had not previously been disciplined during his five years at the department. In his December letter to the corporal, Salmerón affirmed that the reprimand was appropriate, citing Charles’ “admitted lack WAGNER SUBARU 5470 Intrastate Dr., Fairborn, OH 937.669.7553 www.WagnerSubaru.com PROUDLY SERVING YELLOW SPRINGS AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY SINCE 1966 WAGNER SUBARU WAGNER SUBARU is a proud supporter of the Glen Helen Nature Preserve, Little Art Theatre and Chamber Music in Yellow Springs. Chamber Music in Yellow Springs The SUV for all you love. The 2020 Subaru Forester. The 2020 Forester. It’s the ideal traveling compainion. Standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive + 33 MPG 4 give you confidence. 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Meister, however, was not disciplined in September, as several disciplines accu- mulated in the last two years would have led to more severe consequences for the officer, according to YS Police Chief Brian Carlson this week. According to YSPD policy, following a verbal reprimand is a written reprimand, then a suspension or demotion and finally a termination, which can only be com- pleted by the Village manager. The pro- cess starts over after 24 months. In lieu of that process in Meister’s case, the citizen committee was formed. In Salmerón’s letter to Meister, he noted that Meister took too long interpreting Ohio law on domestic violence. “As a 10-year veteran officer with the Yellow Springs Police Depar tment, I expect that you would have clearer under- standing of the Ohio Revised Code and of your responsibility to take the appropriate actions,” he wrote. “As a result of your failure to take the appropriate action on this incident,” Salm- erón continued, “it is evident that you are in need of further training.” In lieu of his regular patrol duties, Meister will participate in an eight-week “refresher training” with a Field Training Officer. That type of training is standard for officers who are new to the department or who have had “a lapse of judgement,” according to Carlson. Carlson has assigned Meister to train with YSPD Cpl. Jeff Beam, who Carlson said, “exemplifies the philosophy of com- passionate decision-making within logical policing protocols.” Salmerón also noted that Meister’s status change was only temporary and would not affect the officer’s pay rate or benefits. “I hope you will embrace this opportu- nity for additional training and will work to improve your skills to provide the best service that you can to our residents,” Salmerón concluded. Citizen committee reflections In a written document presented to Council, the ad hoc committee reflected on the strengths and weaknesses of the process, and how it should be changed if it were used again. On the strengths, the participants noted that not only was the committee a “sound- ing board of diverse citizens,” it also pro- vided community members with “insights into the different challenges, policies, and processes” of the YSPD. The group also developed a sense of “comradery” and benefitted from legal counsel’s advice on the “scope of our work,” they wrote. “Provides a transparent process to our community and inclusion of YS village values,” one participant noted. The length of time, lack of clear guide- lines and the sensing of “a bit of anxiety, or perhaps, distrust, from all officers” were suggested as challenges and weaknesses. Asked if the process had “a positive value,” one par ticipant wrote, “I feel the community will trust the findings of a group of fellow villagers … over an outside investigator, especially a police officer from a conservative community.” Another comment was that the process could be useful to “to prevent any accusa- tions of favoritism by employees, or being ‘targeted,’ by supervisors.” Negatives involved the potential con- flicts of interest in a small town and the perceived distrust from officers, as well as the fact that “confidentiality was breached while the process was underway.” Finally, participants agreed that the pro- cess could be a useful tool for the Village manager moving forward. A larger group of citizens rotating into small groups when needed was suggested, along with continued clarity around the group’s “scope of practice.” Contact: mbachman@ysnews.com Review complete Hit any key to continue… or call Carlos , 767-1787 7 days a week, 8 am–10 pm! 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