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2020/06/05 - Mayor's Column: O'Fallon's Diversity is One of Its Greatest Assets

 

­­­“An Open Door to O’Fallon”
A Weekly Note from Mayor Herb Roach
­­­

With the recent outbreak of demonstrations due to the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the inexcusable violence that has occurred in many communities, I have been asked about the position and actions that I and the City of O’Fallon have taken when it comes to the professionalism and training of our Police Department and the overall relations between the city and the minority community.

O’Fallon is a great community and part of that is due to the diversity of the people that call it home. To this day, O’Fallon has families that can trace their lineage back to the original foundation of our city. We also have many families that have come to O’Fallon from other parts of America and the World. It does not matter how many generations your family has lived in O’Fallon; this is still your home. The diversity of O’Fallon is one of its greatest assets. Diversity brings new ideas and concepts that many may never have been exposed to otherwise.  The makeup of our community has changed by age, race, ethnicity, religion, color, and nationality, so we must change and adapt, while still maintaining a good quality of life for all of our residents.  When you can do this, we have the best of all worlds.

Several days ago, our Police Chief Eric Van Hook wrote a wonderful letter that detailed the training of our law enforcement officers and the value that they place on human life, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, age or any other factor.  Chief Van Hook also mentioned the 10 Shared Principles that we use in our community. These principles were put in place by our City Council in 2018. Available at https://go.boarddocs.com/il/ofallon/Board.nsf/files/AZNQ7N673EAA/$file/10%20Shared%20Principles%20resolution.pdf.

Many Federal, State, and City Leaders give a lot of rhetoric toward the subject, but I have always thought that you judge a person’s real feelings and position by the actions taken.  So, I would like to share with you some of the many steps that I, the City of O’Fallon, and the City Council have taken over the years.  These actions are not done for publicity, and that is why most people don’t know about these when they occurred. These were done with goal of community improvement.

  • The 10 Shared Principles passed by the City Council. This was done in 2018.
  • O’Fallon’s police and other first responders visit O’Fallon’s schools to speak with students. We believe that community partnerships begin at youth and last for a lifetime.
  • Our Public Safety Department holds Night to Unite, Youth Summer Camps, Pop-Up Bar-B-Ques in all areas of our Community to meet the families & children and talk with them.
  • Our Police have worked with churches and places of worship on plans to improve safety and security. 
  • I was fortunate enough to be able to appoint the first minority (also Purple Heart recipient) to the City Council.  This person was later elected to a full term by the residents of her ward.
  • Our Public Safety Department has regular meetings with members of the Minority Community, including the NAACP to discuss community relations.
  • Our Police Department is one of only 28 Police Departments in the State of Illinois and only one of two south of Peoria that are fully certified by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. This certification consists of a thorough review of Policy, Training, Procedures and Actions taken. (achieved in 2019).
  • On the five person Police and Fire Commission I have appointed, two minorities and one female.
  • We have hired five minority Police Officers in past 3 years.
  • I have established a Committee of Minority Citizens and members of the NAACP and Urban League to assist us in recruiting good minority candidates to be considered for any city positions.  We meet quarterly.
  • We have increased the number of minorities hired throughout the City by 140% during the last three years.
  • We have worked with several groups to allow them to have marches to express their concerns in a peaceful and professional manner and to educate the public on their concerns.

This is just some of the actions and activities that the City of O’Fallon does to try to reach out and involve all segments of our community.

As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open (virtually, at least)!