Mr. Dorf commented that the concern is not just with the report, but also with the culture and perception of Oakwood. The current perception of why certain people are not welcome in Oakwood should be addressed as well.

Vice Mayor Byington agreed that the perception issue should be addressed. He stated that City Council is always looking for ways to welcome people into the City, and suggestions on how to do things better.

Myrna Gabbe, 345 Peach Orchard Avenue, asked if there has been any discussion on diversifying the police force in Oakwood because her perception is that there is not much diversity.

Vice Mayor Byington commented that it is Oakwood's policy to hire the absolute best candidates for the job. He added that while City Council does not hire the officers directly, they have full confidence in city staff's hiring decisions.

Roger Crum, 159 Aberdeen Avenue, clarified that Ms. Gabbe's question was not about hiring the most qualified officers, but questioning if there are goals to seek out candidates from diverse groups to help create the excellent core of public safety officers. He stated his belief that diversity is a worthy aim in and of itself.

Vice Mayor Byington shared that recruitment standards are in place to hire the highest caliber of officers, and race is not a factor.

Mr. Crum commented that he is not hearing that Oakwood has a strategic initiative to diversify the workforce. He opined that the community needs to work on perception and the question of diversity is at the core.

Leslie Picca, 317 Dellwood Avenue, shared that the ABLE report only scratches the surface of the broader issue of perception. She urged City Council to look into the perception issues, and said that citizens are willing to help.

Vice Mayor Byington stated that City Council and city staff are always available for feedback and/or comments. Oakwood is a small community and the members of council are here to serve. He explained that the perception concern is not being taken lightly and the conversations should take place in the right venues to produce results. He urged people to reach out to City Council or city staff to share thoughts and opinions.

Rachel Collopy, 305 Orchard Drive, explained that concerns of bias and discrimination have come up before in Oakwood. She asked if City Council is committed to real and substantial change to both formal and informal policies versus things just continuing as they always have.

Vice Mayor Byington explained that members on City Council are also citizens of the Oakwood community. This issue, along with every issue brought forward, is taken very seriously. Unfortunately, there are not always easy solutions, but City Council is always looking to find ways to make Oakwood the best it can be.

Mrs. Collopy commented that she hopes that City Council will have a plan that includes checks and balances to measure how the plan is working. There has to be a starting point and a way to measure the changes.