DAVENPORT, Iowa — Davenport Mayor Mike Matson and City Administrator Corrin Spiegel hosted the first "Listening Session" on Thursday, June 3. The monthly meetings are a chance for the public to come and voice any concerns or opinions they have.
"Tell us what you want us to know. What you want us to hear," said Matson.
It was the first of at least five monthly sessions the city plans on hosting between now and October - each at different locations across Davenport.
At Thursday's event nearly 50 people came out to have their voices heard. While topics ranged from construction on 53rd to bicycle safety to noise ordinances not being followed, there were two main topics that dominated the evening.
The first being juvenile gun crime and what the city is doing to help stop it and keep communities safe. Many people pressed the mayor on how funded the police are, and if they're understaffed at all (the answer: DPD is currently down 6 officers and trying to recruit).
One man saying, "Everything else can be put on hold. Our safety, our community safety is number one and I don't see that."
And for a father in attendance, Davenport's gun crime is personal.
Joe Smith brought two of his sons, Zach and Adam, to the meeting. He made a passionate speech about the day his family's lives were forever changed, just two weeks ago, when they were driving down Locust to go fishing, and were caught in the cross fire of a gang shootout.
Luckily no one was killed, but Zach was struck by a bullet to the face, coming within an inch of taking his life.
"We just happened to be in the middle of two cars that were shooting at each other," Smith told News 8. "Like they're gonna do that no matter what the time of day, no matter where it's at, no matter how many innocent people are out there. They don't care."
The Smiths moved to Davenport just two years ago, saying they settled here because it seemed like a safe community. While they now say their confidence in that is shaken, they don't think it's gone for good.
"And when I found out this, this meeting was going on, I knew we had to be here. And you know, I'm because of what happened, I want to help. I want to be here to help. And I want to hear what else the community is doing to help," said Smith.
While Matson mostly listened and took notes throughout the evening, he did say in response to many of the crime concerns that the police force had his full backing and several new tools on the way. He also touted his new violent crime task force as a hopeful solution, hopeful that action will come about as a result of its dialogue.
The other big topic of the night was the inequalities that Black communities in Davenport face, specifically on the city's West side.
Tiana Rivers, a local Black woman, pressed the mayor on that task force, saying, "You're talking to people who don't identify with me, they don't look like me. They don't live like me, they don't have the exposure to the things I'm exposed to. Therefore, how can you speak for me?"
She lamented the lack of opportunities for youth on Davenport's West side and talked about the negative press coverage that dominates those communities, asking why more positive stories aren't written.
And on the topic of policing, she asked those gathered to imagine what it's like to be fearful every time you're stopped by an officer - if you are Black. Rivers said even as someone who has an education, a job, a house, and more, she still gets nervous during police encounters.
"My concerns may feel like it's just another complaint, but until you walk in another person's shoes, you're not in the position to do that."
The next listening session will take place on Monday, July 12 at 5:30pm at the Roosevelt Community Center.
August's meeting will be at the Lincoln Center, September's at the Red Hawk Golf Club House, and October's at City Hall.