Sacramento Community Police Commission Meeting - August 8, 2016

The Sacramento Community Police Commission met on Monday, August 8, 2016, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chamber at 915 I Street. The meeting included community remarks, an accountability ad hoc report, and public comment on matters not on the agenda. The commission heard from three invited speakers and several members of the public, all addressing issues of police accountability, transparency, diversity, and the criminalization of homelessness. The diversity ad hoc report was tabled to the next meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (May 9, 2016): The commission approved the minutes from the May 9, 2016 meeting via a motion by Vice Chair Clif Roberts and seconded by Dr. Ernest Uwazie, with no abstentions or objections. The motion passed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Tanya Faison (Black Lives Matter Sacramento): Urged the commission to fight for ultimate oversight powers, including investigative authority with civilian investigators, subpoena power, and the ability to compel police records. She cited models from Albuquerque, Cambridge, San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, Los Angeles, and Berkeley. She stated that the Sacramento Police Department has killed two unarmed black men (Dejaon Flaneau and Joseph Mann) in 2016, and that the department lacks transparency and accountability. She expressed full support for a civilian-led investigative model and demanded the commission take a stand.
• Trina Allen (Sacramento Citizen): Presented a detailed critique of the Sacramento Police Department, describing systemic violence, lack of transparency, and disproportionate impact on Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. She called for zero police killings, demilitarization, and the release of body camera footage. She emphasized that the commission should adopt an investigative model with subpoena power and independent civilian investigators, and that the community needs harm reduction, not symbolic reform.
• Bob Erlenbusch (Executive Director, Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness): Provided data on homelessness: 2,600 homeless people per night, 5,000 annually, with African Americans overrepresented. He reported 138 homeless murders (23% of 600 deaths) over 12 years, with unknown investigation outcomes. He criticized the city’s criminalization of homelessness, citing 11 municipal codes and $2.8 million spent on police enforcement. He recommended expanding the police department’s Impact Team (currently one team) to one per council district, creating a re-entry center, declaring a shelter emergency, and implementing a moratorium on anti-camping ordinance enforcement. He expressed support for the Albuquerque model of homeless training for police.
• Public Comments on Matters Not on the Agenda:
  • Efren: Urged a return to community policing as practiced under former chiefs Venegas and Najara, and called for the white community to acknowledge systemic problems.
  • Damien Harris: Shared personal experience of being tased and tranquilized during a mental health crisis, and demanded an end to police abuse and killings.
  • Erin: Argued that oversight and accountability must come first before any police-community bridge-building, and that the commission should stop police abuse before seeking positive actions.
  • Kim Church: Described negative experiences with the Impact Team, including harassment and confiscation of belongings, and called on the commission to adopt best practices rather than having the community bring them forward.
  • Jermaine Erby: Cautioned against excluding police from meetings, suggested an app for critical incident updates, and urged clear definitions of when force is acceptable.

Discussion Items

• Accountability Ad Hoc Report (Presented by Vice Chair Clif Roberts): The ad hoc committee on transparency and information sharing met with the police department’s Public Information Office and held two community meetings (first with 30 attendees, second with 80). The report recommended that the City of Sacramento host a public website listing all critical incidents (with links to reports, video, and DA analysis), managed by the Office of Public Safety Accountability, with support staff if needed. The committee also noted community suggestions: the commission should have investigative powers, police should not be present at monthly meetings, officers’ names should be released immediately, personnel records should be disclosed, and the Impact Team should be expanded. The report was received and filed.
• Diversity Ad Hoc Report: This item was tabled to the next meeting to allow more time for community engagement and research.

Key Outcomes

• Votes and Decisions:
  • The consent calendar (May 9, 2016 minutes) was approved unanimously.
  • Community remarks from Tanya Faison, Trina Allen, and Bob Erlenbusch were received and filed.
  • The Accountability Ad Hoc Report was received and filed.
  • The Diversity Ad Hoc Report was tabled for the next meeting.
• Next Steps: The commission planned to engage with Bob Erlenbusch and Sacramento Steps Forward on homelessness issues, and to finalize the diversity presentation for the September meeting. The commission aimed to produce recommendations to city council within three months, after the remaining ad hoc reports are presented.