Tent City/Safety/Proposals/28 Oct 2011

PROPOSAL

OF THE PUBLIC MEETING OF THE SAFETY WORKING GROUP

1. We propose that the Safety Working Group hold weekly public meetings to address various safety issues with the OB Community.
2. Rotation of shifts:

• We propose that a large number of the OB community should rotate into Safety “shifts,” because we should all protect our own community.
• Everybody on rotation ends up doing shifts—to create community-wide accountability for the safety of the movement, to prevent burnout, and to avoid creating bodies of authority. To start the rotation process, current Safety members or volunteers train a new shift of people (New Group 1). In their second week, the people of Group 1 train another group of people (Group 2). Group 1 is now done with a two-week rotation, but Group 2 stays on for the remainder of their shift, training Group 3, etc.
• Guidelines for behavior while on Safety shift:

Be respectful to us, you’re our Safety team!

Do not engage in verbal assault

Assess the situation, don’t assume

Abolish violence within yourself; diffuse and de-escalate the violence around you

Bring conflicts of interest regarding tents before the GA, in the form of proposals of what should be done

No being under influence during duty: if a person on Safety rotation is found to be intoxicated or consuming drugs or alcohol during duty, s/he will be asked by fellow members of Safety to step down from duty for the night. We as a Safety group should pull it together tighter by knowing if we abuse substances, we will not work at all in camp, whether we consumed here or not.

Those who are asked to step down for the day or night should do so without creating conflict with the rest of the safety team – issues can be addressed the following day.

Involvement of police is strongly discouraged in cases of nonviolent petty crime.

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• 1. Review process: if a person on Safety rotation has not behaved according to the guidelines for behavior, s/he should be subject to a review process, mediated by the Community Wellness Group.

END PROPOSAL

 

• 1. Recommendations:

The Safety Working Group meeting recommends the creation of protocol for handling potentially violent or intimidating situations.

The Safety Working Group meeting recommends that an Urban Planning Working Group be organized, to deal with tents and territory-related issues.

The SWG recommends the designation of a space for daily meetings for those on Safety shift to vent and help one another to work through issues that arise.

The SWG meeting recommends that current members of the Safety Working Group receive training in mediation from the Community Wellness Working Group to ensure that they can handle problems without escalation. In fact, the SWG recommends that everybody in Occupy Boston receive mediation training, especially the Occupiers who are on Safety rotation.

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FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS NOT YET APPROVED BY A QUORUM:

1. No one works consecutive safety shifts.
2. We recommend the creation of a female safety rotation to ensure the voice and involvement of women in protecting our community and to enable de-escalation by female members of our community. The female safety volunteers would abide by the same behavior guidelines as all members of the safety team.