Demand for Change: Whaley announces working groups for Dayton’s police reform

Mayor Nan Whaley has announced who will be leading the working groups for Dayton’s five police reform initiatives proposed by the city.

“Each group consists of community members, the Dayton Police Department, members of the Community Police Council and people with expertise in the criminal justice system,” Whaley said in a Facebook post.

“These groups will be supported by city staff, University of Dayton Law students, and Dayton Mediation Center staff. They will provide updates throughout this process.”

>> RELATED: Demand for Change: Dayton announces work groups to reform police department

Kettering City Schools is publicly stating its commitment to making the district’s stance on racism, prejudice, and discrimination more well known, Superintendent Scott Inskeep said in a statement last week.

The district’s policy " needs to go from a post on our website that many people may not even know how to locate, to an inherent understanding of how everyone – children and adults alike – will behave toward others when they are in class and at school-sponsored activities,” Inskeep said.

Two years ago, the district’s administrative staff participated in diversity and equity training through the National Conference for Community Justice of Greater Dayton, and this training is something Inskeep said he plans to continue and expand.

The district’s Positive Behavior Intervention Supports and Second Step -- elementary level social/emotional learning programs -- both have anti-bullying, empathy and inclusion components, he said.

Hope Squad, in place at Fairmont High School and Kettering and Van Buren middle schools, is a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program that promotes kindness, empathy, and acceptance as a means of reducing stigma surrounding suicide and mental health issues, he said.

Fairmont High School’s “Supper Club” is an initiative that supports cultural acceptance by bringing a diverse group of students together monthly for dinner and conversation. And the district’s Man’ners Club pairs young boys without a positive male presence in the home with a mentor who promotes positive behaviors and helps them learn etiquette skills.

“These are a few examples of what we are doing now to combat racial and cultural prejudice, but there is much work yet to be done,” Inskeep said. He is asking students, faculty, and staff in the district to commit to listening and learning from each other.

“If we are to combat racism, we must first seek to understand what racism is and how it impacts our students and families of color,” he said.

Inskeep also encourages families in the district to talk to each other and their children about the importance of accepting, respecting, and even celebrating those who are different.

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