Page last updated on April 19, 2024 at 5:16 pm
The CAPS Commission’s goal is to increase the safety of all Bloomington community members, especially those often marginalized due to race, disability, gender, sexual identity, or sexual orientation.
The Commission will perform research and gather data on the perceptions and preferences about public safety from community members, with specific focus on data gathered from minority community members, individuals who are disabled, and other often marginalized community members.
The CAPS Commission will research evidence-based alternatives to traditional policing, identify best practices in public safety globally and evaluate the efficacy of such practices for implementation in Bloomington, and will make recommendations to the Common Council, the Board of Public Safety, and/or the Mayor or the Mayor’s designee on policies and programs that enhance public safety for all community members.
The CAPS Commission will be composed of 11 voting members appointed by the Common Council. Each member shall have one vote and shall serve without compensation. The Commission will meet one time each month.
Statutory Authority: Ordinance 20-20
Contact Information:
Staff Liaison - Ash Kulak - Deputy Administrator/Attorney
(812) 349-3409 | ash.kulak@bloomington.in.gov
Staff Liaison - Stephen Lucas - Council Administrator/Attorney
(812) 349-3409 | lucass@bloomington.in.gov
Alternative Public Safety Report and Recommendations
This Report follows a community-led, consent-driven, and evidence-based design process in order to make recommendations to improve public safety in Bloomington by amplifying the voices of safety-marginalized residents and conducting root cause analysis and in-depth outreach performed with key community stakeholders.
Join the Bloomington Community Safety Coalition to help the Commission improve safety for all, at the expense of none
The CAPS Commission is seeking residents of Bloomington, Indiana to join the Bloomington Community Safety Coalition. The Coalition will meet regularly to discuss the Commission's proposed policies to create alternative solutions to public safety in the city, as laid out in the Alternative Public Safety Report.
2023 Alternative Public Safety Events & Materials
This document has links to the 2023 Alternative Public Safety Report, frequently asked questions, and materials from the CAPS Commission's Town Hall on Public Safety held in April 2023, as well as the CAPS Commission's response to the MC911 Review Committee Report.
2024 Reimagining Safety Weekend
This document has links to the 2024 Reimagining Safety Weekend materials, including the playbill and flyers, Matthew Solomon's film Reimagining Safety, as well as the video recording of the community safety panel discussion from February 25, 2024.
Passed CAPS Resolutions
This document takes you to a linked list of all of the CAPS Resolutions that have been passed by the Commission, including its electronic meeting policy, resolutions condemning both islamophobia and antisemitism, and resolutions on the protection of both reproductive and LGBTQ rights and freedoms.
Black Ancestry Day Video Recording
The Reparations Committee of the CAPS Commission partnered with the Monroe County History Center to hold "Black Ancestry Day," an event on November 18, 2023, to learn more about best practices for and challenges facing Black ancestry research, featuring keynote speaker and professional Historian and Genealogist Ja'el "YaYa" Gordon, as well as remarks from CAPS Commissioner Kamala Brown-Sparks.
START Team Report on Bloomington Housing Affordability
The CAPS Commission applied for a group of undergraduate Indiana University Students at the Kelley School of Business to research housing affordability within the City of Bloomington and develop a plan of action to address the identified issues. This report is a culmination of the Kelley student group's three months of research, interviews, and recommendations.