Page last updated on May 6, 2025 at 2:40 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 9 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 - Deputy Administrator/Attorney for the Common Council
(812) 349-3409 | council@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.
Alternative Public Safety Report FAQ
This document answers the questions that the CAPS Commission has received about the 2023 Alternative Public Safety Report.
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.
CAPS Resolution 24-02 - Denouncing Violent Suppression of Pro-Palestinian Protests
This CAPS Resolution was passed at a special meeting held on May 1, 2024 in response to the Indiana University administration's decision to use a militarized state police force to violently suppress pro-Palestinian protests held in Dunn Meadow on April 25 and 27, 2024.
CAPS Statement 24-01 - On the IHRA's Working Definition of Antisemitism
In this statement passed in its April 24 meeting, the CAPS commission opposes the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
April 24 Meeting Video Recording
In this meeting, April 24, 2024, the CAPS commission hears from guest speakers on the various definitions of antisemitism.
Reimagining Safety Weekend: Community Safety Panel Discussion
On February 25, 2024, CAPS hosted a panel discussion featuring local and national experts in community safety in the IU School of Public Health and on Zoom.
Reimagining Safety Weekend: Flyers & Playbill
These materials were distributed at the Reimagining Safety film screening on February 24, 2024, and the following community panel discussion on February 25, 2024.
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.
Resolution on Protection of LGBTQ Rights & Freedom
CAPS Resolution 23-01 asks the City of Bloomington Common Council and the Mayor to declare the City a Safe Haven for Transgender Youth in response to state legislation passed in 2023 that bans gender-affirming health care for minors, restricts educational materials with LGBTQ+ themes in municipal schools, and requires parental notification of nomenclature and pronoun change requests from students in municipal schools. The Commission asks the City to adopt a policy or policies consistent with the principles set forth in the resolution. Resolution 23-01, passed 8-0-1, 11/2/2023
CAPS Response to Monroe County 911 Review Committee Report
This is a response passed on Sept 13, 2023 by the CAPS Commission to the Final Recommendations for Alternatives to Police Response to 911 Calls for Service Report that was published by the Monroe County 911 Review Committee on August 2, 2023.
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.
Safety for All, at the Expense of None: A Town Hall on Public Safety
In preparation for a report about public safety, the CAPS Commission hosted a town hall event on April 11, 2023, to gather community outreach regarding public safety needs, experiences, and perceptions in the greater community.
Resolution on Protection of Reproductive Rights & Freedom
CAPS Resolution 22-2 expresses the concern of the Community Advisory on Public Safety Commission over the Supreme Court's recent Dobbs decision and Indiana's Senate Bill 1. The resolution makes recommendations on policies and actions the Commission feels the city should take to help protect reproductive rights & freedom. Resolution 22-2, passed 8/22/2022
Resolution Condemning Antisemitism & Anti-Jewish Violence
In response to past and recent acts of antisemitism and anti-Jewish violence in our community, this Resolution condemns antisemitism and acts of anti-Jewish bigotry as morally reprehensible in themselves as well as serious threats to public safety, and it denounces the antisemitic sentiments that give rise to such acts as false, hateful and antithetical to core American values. Resolution 22-01, passed 3/22/2022
Resolution Condemning Islamophobia & Anti-Muslim Violence
This Resolution condemns Islamophobic speech and other acts of anti-Muslim bigotry as serious threats to public safety, and denounces the Islamophobic sentiments that give rise to such acts as false, hateful and antithetical to core American values. Resolution 21-02, passed 6-0-0, 12/9/2021
Resolution Establishing the CAPS Electronic Meetings Policy
This Resolution adopts an Electronic Meetings Policy according to the Indiana legislature’s statute enacted in the wake of the Covid-19 disaster emergency allowing for electronic meetings in certain circumstances. This policy establishes the procedures that apply to electronic participation in meetings by CAPS members, city staff, and the public. Resolution 21-01, passed 6/24/2021