Process Is As Important As Content in Governing

Captions: Photos depict Sam Hargadine, Iowa City Police Chief, on left; from left: Amy and Terrence Neuzil with Rod Sullivan behind them (in profile) at the Sutliff Bridge in Sutliff, Iowa. Both Terrence Neuzil and Rod Sullivan are Johnson County Supervisors.

The Johnson County Criminal Justice Committee is seeking a MacArthur grant to gather data on Johnson County law enforcement’s disproportionate minority contact. We know from a 2013 American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) report, “The War on Marijuana in Black and White,” that Johnson County, Iowa law enforcement is 7.8 times more likely to arrest a black person than a white person for possession of marijuana, a practice that is equally common among black and white populations. Only Dubuque and Woodbury Counties, 10 times and 8.1 times more likely respectively, have higher rates. Blacks are 8.3 times more likely to be arrested on average for possession of marijuana than whites in the state of Iowa as a whole.

Now that we know that, should we continue to gather more data to discover the differences on each charge, namely possession of marijuana, disorderly conduct, and interference with official acts, or should we proceed directly to an action plan to discourage racial disparities in arrest rates for the same offense?

The Johnson County Criminal Justice Committee, supported by the Disproportionate Minority Contact Subcommittee, budgeted $30,000 out of Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness’ budget (it was her idea) to gather more data. As a member of the DMC subcommittee, I suggested that we have a mission statement for the subcommittee and that the mission statement include an action plan as a goal and not just data gathering.

After all, we can gather data endlessly without achieving meaningful change. Fortunately, a mission statement was developed with a reference to data gathering and action/change as a goal.

Feb. 9th, 2015 Kingsley Botchway, the DMC committee chair, again failed to show to the DMC meeting. Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan waited a decent interval of time for Mr. Botchway to show up, and then took over the meeting. Given the absence of Mr. Botchway, Rod’s leadership was expedient, but led to some unfortunate and abrupt developments.

As the Feb. 9th meeting ended, Rod decided the DMC subcommittee should stop meeting in person and meet “by email.” I objected and said we hadn’t voted to stop meeting. Rod said a vote would be taken by email. I never got an email. In fact, I received no emails from Johnson County until the Criminal Justice Committee met April 8th, 2016. I planned to attend, since I saw that the Adult Disproportionate Minority Contact Subcommittee was on the agenda.

At the Johnson County Criminal Justice Committee April 8th, Rod Sullivan spoke as though he were the DMC subcommittee chair and said he saw no reason to meet any time soon. Kingsley Botchway, the actual/nominal chair, added that he too saw no reason for the DMC subcommittee to meet any time soon. I asked who the chair is. I’ve asked that question before, because I really want to know. The answer? Again, Kingsley Botchway is the chair. If so, I wish he’d show up for meetings, which he has not since he became the Iowa City Community School District’s Equity Director, and I wish we’d have meetings.

Johnson County Supervisor Terrence Neuzil said that the Johnson County Criminal Justice Committee would meet again June 3, 2015, and he expects that the subcommittees still in existence, namely the Alternatives and Treatments Subcommittee, the Facilities Subcommittee (which has yet to meet, according to Johnson County Supervisor Pat Harney), and the Adult Disproportionate Minority Contact Subcommittee, will meet prior to June 3rd.

I hope those subcommittees will meet before June 3rd as well. Process is as important as the goals of the subcommittees. Don’t invite community members like myself to participate in the democratic process and then ask them, as Supervisor Rod Sullivan asked me when I challenged his rule by executive fiat, “How did you get on this committee?”

“Ask your colleagues,” I told him. “They invited me to apply.”

Rod Sullivan seems to have the same mantra as my father, who also has a good deal of Irish in him. Dad has always said and continues to say even at age 90, “The best defense is a good offense.”