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Community Engagement and Inclusion4, which directed City staff to engage the community, <br /> communicate with neighborhoods and create opportunities for the public to see how City <br /> officials work. This was followed in 2019 by the launching of an interactive open data portal, <br /> where community members could access data through the City's website5. <br /> The EPD completed a review of the strategic plan in 2018. Another steering committee was <br /> formed, which reviewed the previous strategic plan to ensure it was still in alignment with the <br /> needs of the community. The department conducted both an external (community survey) and <br /> an internal survey to see what our stakeholders believed were the most important issues facing <br /> the agency. While some new needs were identified, the desire to focus on quality of life issues <br /> continued to be a theme. Moreover, some returns discussed public trust in the police and a desire <br /> to find ways to improve the trust between the agency and the community. The internal survey of <br /> department employees showed a strong belief to continue working with the community to <br /> address and solve local problems. <br /> Based on this feedback, and along with other ongoing efforts to show the public how the EPD <br /> employees work in the field, the department would like to utilize the JAG grant to purchase <br /> interview room video and audio recording equipment. The current recording system has reached <br /> its end of life and the cost to replace it does not fit within our M&O budget. As mentioned <br /> above, due to a budget deficit, and the impact of the COVID-19 virus on our City's funding <br /> sources, the department has been unable to allocate money to this important technology. Using <br /> the grant dollars will allow us to bring the system up to current standards immediately. The 2020 <br /> JAG allocation is anticipated to fund 100 percent of the purchase, but will require additional <br /> labor hours and oversight from a current full time employee that also have cursory video <br /> technology responsibilities. Employees using the technology will track the use of the system to <br /> document its value. <br /> Capabilities and Competencies <br /> The Everett Police Department interviewed our juvenile justice stakeholders during the strategic <br /> planning process. The department recognizes the differences in juvenile and adult offenders and <br /> the need to provide alternatives to incarceration for these offenders, especially for low level <br /> crimes. To this end, the EPD has dedicated police resources to Juvenile Drug Court, which <br /> provides another avenue for juveniles involved in crime that is related to drug addiction issues. <br /> The drug court offers a rehabilitative and therapeutic approach to substance abuse, and in <br /> addition to the EPD and other legal stakeholders, includes the families in the recovery model. <br /> Youth offenders that successfully complete the program have their criminal cases dismissed. <br /> The EPD also participates in the local chapter of Reclaiming Futures, a public-private <br /> collaboration which links community system reforms, substance abuse treatment, the justice <br /> City of Everett,"Community Engagement and Inclusion", Posted January 25,2018. <br /> https://everettwa.gov/1796/Community-Engagement <br /> 5 City of Everett,"City Launches New Open Data Portal",Posted June 3,2019. <br /> https://everettwa.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?Al D=1811 <br />