Sacramento Community Police Commission Meeting – March 14, 2016
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Sacramento Community Police Commission Meeting – March 14, 2016
The Sacramento Community Police Commission met on Monday, March 14, 2016, from approximately 5:59 pm to 8:05 pm in the Council Chamber at 915 I Street. The commission received presentations on police equipment (in-car cameras and body-worn cameras) and on protocols for officer-involved shootings and deaths in custody. Public comment and commissioner discussion followed, with both major agenda items being received and filed.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the February 8, 2016 meeting minutes (moved by Mariana Sabeniano, seconded by Ernest Uwazie; all voted yes except Tim Davis abstained, as he was not at that meeting).
Discussion Items
- Police Equipment Overview (Sergeant Michelle Gigante, Sacramento Police Department) – Presented an overview of the in-car camera (ICC) system (Panasonic Arbitrator 360). Key details: cameras were first deployed in 2001 (VHS) and upgraded to digital in 2012; automatic activation triggers include light bar, speed over 90 mph, rear door opening, and crash sensor; manual activation via camera button, wireless microphone, or in-car computer; 30-second pre-record buffer; video stored for 18 months (general) or indefinitely for evidentiary cases; officers cannot edit footage; public release is not standard practice. Officers must log in and perform a system check at start of shift; cameras are automatically downloaded via wireless at department buildings. The sergeant noted that the department is also moving toward body-worn cameras.
- Body-Worn Camera Update (Lieutenant Justin Risley, Sacramento Police Department) – Described the department’s body-worn camera pilot program, funded by a DOJ grant (Oct 2016 – Sept 2017) with a city match. The total estimated cost for two years is $1,536,000. Multiple vendors have been trialed (Taser, Panasonic, Vive U, Digital Ally, Watch Guard, Motorola). Officers in various units (gang, bike, motor, canine, shot spotter) are testing the cameras. Key considerations: battery life, mounting options, storage costs, back-end system, and integration with existing equipment. The department aims to take a deliberate approach, learning from early adopters, and expects to finalize a product selection by June 2016. Policy mirrors the in-car camera policy and incorporates best practices.
- Officer-Involved Shootings and Death in Custody Protocol (Deputy Chief Mike Bray, Sacramento Police Department) – Outlined the post-incident response: immediate medical aid, public safety statement from involved officer, witness identification, scene management, notifications (CSI, command staff, internal affairs, DA investigators, PIO), and formal interviews (all videotaped). The district attorney’s office monitors the investigation; internal affairs and the Office of Public Safety Accountability also provide oversight. Statistics: 17 officer-involved shootings in the last five years (average 3/year) – 53% white, 18% black, 17% Hispanic, 12% Asian; 4 deaths in custody (2011 and 2013) – two black, one white, one Hispanic. The department also investigates shootings by other agencies within the city. Post-incident, officers receive mandatory meeting with mental health professional, three days administrative leave, and peer support.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Trina (on Police Equipment Overview) – Expressed support for body cameras and in-car cameras, but requested citizen oversight: activation upon citizen request, commission review of footage, and public access to one’s own video.
- Muriel Strand (Matters Not on Agenda) – Read a Harper’s Magazine article quoting former Nixon aide John Ehrlichman describing the war on drugs as a politically motivated effort to target the anti-war left and black communities.
- Tanya Faison (Black Lives Matter Sacramento) – Criticized the commission for appearing too friendly with police and not focusing enough on accountability; urged commissioners to represent the community.
Key Outcomes
- Both agenda items (Police Equipment Overview and Officer Involved Shootings/Death in Custody Protocol) were received and filed.
- The next meeting is scheduled for April 11, 2016, at 6:00 pm at the Pennell Community Center, focusing on the pillar of diversity.
- Commissioners discussed the need for ride-alongs and community engagement, noting Brown Act restrictions on communication but encouraging the formation of ad hoc committees for specific topics.
- The commission will report to the mayor and council in June/July 2016 after completing the remaining pillars.
Meeting Transcript
Order the March 14th call Sacramento Police Commissions Community Police Commission's board meeting. And if we could just start in with roll call, just so we can make sure we have a quorum. We start with Rosalyn. Here? Here, Betty Williams. Here Kathy Tao here. Les Simmons here. Bill Knowl here. Ernest Wise here. Mariana Sabiano here. Cliff Roberts here. Rick Jones here. Tim Davis here. Chair Simmons, we do have a quorum. Great. First, if you want to just talk about the rules of the uh commission meeting. Go ahead, Francine. This meeting is being audio and video recorded. If you're here to speak on an item, please fill out the speaker slips. They are at the back and please turn them in to the clerk here at the front. Also, we have assistant listening and speaking devices if necessary, and someone can assist you with that. If you have on a cell phone, please turn it off or put it on vibrate so it does not disturb the meeting. You will be given two minutes to speak on matters if you request to do so. Great. First on our agenda is just adopting the February the uh last month's calendar agenda, and that's the February 8th uh commission's meeting. And uh if we have any questions or motions, uh if we don't have any questions over it, we can entertain a motion to move that agenda forward. We have one motion state your name real quick and and that you're making a motion to adopt the last month's calendar agenda for February the 8th. Mariana and I moved the previous calendar. Ernest or why is this second discussion? Okay, we have a uh Bill. You have some no no, I just have a call for discussion. Okay, a call for discussion. So uh we can move on to our next agenda item. Thank you. I'd like to call for a vote that we move this forward. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any abstentions or no's motion I abstain, I was not at that meeting. Noted. Just one abstention. Yeah, correct. So we are going to move into our discussion. Um we have two things on our agenda for discussion for the first one is the police equipment overview, and let's see here. Michelle Jondi from the Sacramento Police Department, and the second one is the officer involved shooting and debts in custody. So we can go to the first one first. Thank you. Hi, I'm Michelle Giganti. I'm with the Sacramento Police Department. I work downtown graveyard.
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