HomeMy WebLinkAboutGunViolenceTaskForce.Minutes.2024-10-08
City Hall 44 North Lorimier Street Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701
(573)339-6300 www.cityofcapegirardeau.org
Gun Violence Task Force
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
5:00 p.m.
City Hall, 44 North Lorimier Street
Council Room
MINUTES
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Jessica Hill Adam Kidd
Dr. Howard Benyon
Josh Crowell Shannon Truxel
Alix Gasser Amber Walker
Jared Ritter Lynn Ware
Nancy Scheller Tina Wright
Laura Selbo
MEMBERS ABSENT:
Nita DuBose
Rob Gilligan
Lee Schlitt
Dr. Melissa Stickel
Adrian Taylor
Clint Tracy
Dr. Carlos Vargas
Leslie Washington
CITY STAFF PRESENT:
Mayor Stacy Kinder
Nicolette Brennan
Adam Glueck
Gayle Conrad
Co-Chair Adam Kidd called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm. The minutes from the September 19, 2024
meeting were approved as amended by changing the adjournment time, on motion, second and vote.
Dr. Howard Benyon, Josh Crowell and Mandy Kies gave a presentation on the Cape Girardeau Public
School System. Each presented on separate topics, including:
• District Personnel and Safety Procedures
• District Protocols and Safety Measures
• Partnerships for mental health support and crisis counseling
• External Preventive Measures and Student Support System
Mr. Crowell and Ms. Kies discussed opportunities for improvement, including:
• Accountability: cooperative completion of Juvenile Risks and Needs Assessment between the
school and the Juvenile Office, and exercising reason for override of the section on the Juvenile
Detention Assessment Form.
• Communication: transparently of all agencies (school to school and state to state), and prompt
reporting of juvenile offenses to the school. In 2008 the FERPA (student record keeping) law was
changed to allow student information regarding violence to be shared with schools, but is not
being done locally.
• Governance: lobby state for juvenile justice reform, authoritative body to govern school safety,
and restore state funding for DYS ECHO program relating to classrooms for students in the
adjudication program.
• Changes in the law to not allow juveniles to openly carry guns.
• Changing the juvenile point system to show serious infractions by juveniles.
Mr. Kevin Gruenwald of the 32nd Circuit Juvenile Officer stated that the Department of Youth Services
focuses on restorative programs, not punitive programs, for juvenile offenders, to the point that it feels
that detention may be too difficult for juveniles.
City Hall 44 North Lorimier Street Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701
(573)339-6300 www.cityofcapegirardeau.org
The next meeting of the Gun Violence Task Force is scheduled for Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 5:00 p.m.
in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. The meeting will be a workshop to discuss and review the
information presented to the Task Force to date.
The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.
Minutes taken by: Gayle Conrad, Director of Citizen Services/City Clerk