Langfelder, Buscher tackle equity, diversity issues at latest mayoral forum

Mayor Jim Langfelder and Treasurer Misty Buscher tackled issues dealing with equity and diversity in the police department and underserved neighborhoods in a mayoral forum at Union Baptist Church Thursday.

The forum, which drew about 100 people, was sponsored by the Faith Coalition for the Common Good, the League of Women Voters of the Springfield Area, Sustainable Springfield and the Springfield branch of the American Association of University Women.

Langfelder, who is seeking a third term, and Buscher, aiming for the top spot after eight years as city treasurer, also took part in a forum put on by the Tara Hill Homeowners Association at Illini Country Club Wednesday.

The consolidated election is Apr. 4. Early voting has already started.

Here are some takeaways from the two forums:

Equity in the Springfield Police Department

Buscher said she has already been speaking with the police union on ways the city can recruit more females and more minorities for the department.

Females and minorities currently in the department need help to climb through the ranks "so they are in leadership positions which has not been a focus of the department but will be a focus with me as your mayor," Buscher said.

Langfelder said the police department "needs to reflect our community."

Since he's been mayor, Langfelder said the number of minority officers jumped from 18 to 32 while the number of Black officers has gone from 11 to 18. SPD has about 230 officers.

Increasing youth services

Buscher said while there are a lot of good community programs for young people through the Boys and Girls Clubs, Compass for Kids and The Outlet, among others, there needs to be more public engagement with such groups.

"Our community members don't always know what the need is at The Outlet or what the need is at Compass For Kids or the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Illinois and how they can give back to our youth and spend time with our youth," Buscher said. "That is something I am passionate about doing."

Langfelder said partnering with Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory and Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams Jr. and the Springfield Park District, the Teen Empowerment Zone provided on-the-job training, life skills, leadership development and educational opportunities for at-risk youths.

A rock-climbing wall at Comer Cox, Langfelder said, might help youths gravitate towards being a firefighter or a line person.

Coal-fired plants and renewable energy

Langfelder said under his leadership, older coal-fired units have been shuttered, leaving Dallman 4 at City Water, Light and Power.

Last fall, CWLP partnered with the University of Illinois Springfield and two private companies to initiate a carbon capture project that will capture 98% of the carbon dioxide emitted, he said. It will be up by 2024.

By early 2024, the city will have a recommendation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a recommendation for a second city lake, Langfelder said.

Buscher said there should already be a plan in place where the city is getting to a goal of 30% of all power being generated by solar.

"It is important that we have safe, clean renewable energy in our community," she said.

Buscher said the utility needs to do more outreach about public service announcements regarding things like water conservation and better insulation.

"I'm not sure all of our citizens are aware they can tap into that education," Buscher added.

City residency for employees

Langfelder said he's "a firm believer" in residency for city employees.

"Residency helps stabilize your community," he insisted. "When you look at what happened in Ferguson, Missouri, and other communities that had flareups of racial unrest, one of the big issues that came up was residency because the police officers who went into the community didn't live there."

Langfelder has asked the Illinois Municipal League to lobby to get cities' training costs reimbursed for police and fire personnel who leave to go to agencies that have looser or no residency requirements.

Buscher countered that residency hurts the city's recruitment "for all jobs, not just police and fire."

Buscher said she talked to District 186 Superintendent Jennifer Gill about its policy. Teachers can live outside the city, Buscher said, because the district has to recruit the best-qualified candidates.

"We are having trouble getting candidates across the board over the entire city," Buscher said. "We have become the training facility for state workers at the city of Springfield. We pay less, our benefits aren't as great, and we require residency. It's a real problem."

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Langfelder, Buscher tackle police hiring at Springfield mayoral forum