A  Black Lives Matter Banner  Hung at 267 Congress Street, the Maine Jewish Museum.

A Banner That States the Last Words of George Floyd Before His Death by a Former Police Officer.

The city’s Racial Equity Steering Committee will be hosting remove public comment sessions to solicit feedback on the ways that the city interacts with area agencies and organizations in the name of public safety.  The Committee is interested in knowing which existing organizations in the city enhance public safety.  The Committee is also interested in hearing about the ways the city could further support the work organizations and agencies are doing in the name of public safety.

The first public comment session will come during the Committee’s Thursday, December 17, 2020 meeting from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm  The next public comment session will be held on Thursday, January 14, 2020 from 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm.

Public comment sessions are held on Zoom and can be accessed through the agendas at www.portlandmaine.gov/agendas.

For reference, the Committee’s working definition of public safety includes:

A.  Protecting the wellbeing of people all races and ethnicities, communities and organizations.

B. Safeguarding people from rimes, disaster and other potential dangers and threats and reducing fear.

C. Ensuring that all people get a fair and equitable chance to lead a high quality of life that is not predicted by race.

Thirteen members to the Committee were announced on September 9th.  The Racial Equity Steering Committee is charged with reviewing the city’s approach to public safety.