Who We Are
In the Human Rights Department, we work with residents, other City departments, and community institutions to develop fair and equitable access to government and community services and to support a more inclusive community. Specific approaches guide our work.
What We Do
Traditionally, the Human Rights Department focused solely on reactive enforcement through civil rights laws. We recognize there remains time when enforcement is necessary, and we encourage the public to
report concerns about anything that may be a civil rights violation or that causes concerns in terms of how people are being treated in the community.
We also recognize that sometimes there are individuals and groups in our community who are not well connected and are looking for ways to get connected or to access services. We strive to identify needs and either connect people and groups to resources or mediate improvements in service delivery by City department and/or community institutions.
Finally, we work with partners towards creating more sustainable solutions to civil and human rights issues.
How You Can Be Involved
Each of us has a role to play in developing and working toward these solutions, and we invite you to contribute to these efforts through both learning and actions. Here are some ways you can get involved through our department.
We encourage the public to contact our office. Ask us questions. Let us know your concerns. Share your ideas. Get involved. It will take all of us working together in order for our community to continually become safe, more civil, and more inclusive as we face growth and change.