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Attachment C <br />To:Patrick Trudgeon <br />From: Chief Erika Scheider <br />Date: December 7, 2022 <br />Re: Fencing Consortium <br />In the spring of 2021, a significant number of public agency professionals, including police, fire, public <br />works, and emergency managers joined together to study and make recommendations for ways to <br />protect city buildings following a critical incident. The group determined anti-scale fencing could be an <br />effective tool to protect crucial city assets and infrastructure, but also to de-escalate tension following a <br />critical incident. <br />The experiences with civil unrest in Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center demonstrated the critical role <br />fencing provides for de-escalation and establishing a safe space for lawful protests. To respond to this <br />identified need, a Fence Working Group was established and their efforts led to the formation of a <br />Fencing Consortium. <br />The intent of the Fencing Consortium is to provide anti-scale fencing within hours, not days, around <br />potentially impacted government building(s) in response to a critical incident. The goal of the anti-scale <br />fencing is to serve as a de-escalation barrier between law enforcement and demonstrators, while <br />protecting city assets and critical infrastructure. The fencing also helps keep safe and protect first <br />responders, members of the public, and demonstrators. <br />Benefits include: <br />Provides physical separation between law enforcement and demonstrators, promoting an <br />improved mental health environment for all and reducing potential for PTSD <br />Reduces the need for crowd control measures, improving safety and minimizing impacts on <br />adjacent properties <br />Creates a safe space for demonstrators <br />Minimizes the optics of officers versus protesters <br />Reduces resource demands and frees up officers for security at the site <br />Reduces the number of officers in view, which can minimize tensions and potential escalation <br />(officers in riot gear being able to remain out of sight). <br />Without establishing a physical barrier between law enforcement and protesters, there are a variety of <br />challenges and negative consequences, including <br />An inability to create physical separation, which can escalate tensions <br />A need for crowd control measures to be used <br />A lack of a clearly designated space for legal protesting <br /> <br />