Sacramento Community Police Review Commission Meeting - May 14, 2018
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Sacramento Community Police Review Commission Meeting - May 14, 2018
The Sacramento Community Police Review Commission held a regular meeting on Monday, May 14, 2018, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber. The meeting included a consent calendar, presentations on police complaint activity, a collaborative review by the California Department of Justice, state legislation, updates from ad hoc committees, and strategic planning. The meeting adjourned at 7:54 p.m.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the Commission Meeting Minutes for April 9, 2018 (Motion by Member Hoyt, second by Member Zamora; 10-0, with Member Johnny Coleman absent).
Discussion Items
- April 2018 Police Complaint Activity Report: Francine Tournour reported a total of six community complaints with seven allegations involving six officers. Discussion included request for more information on case closure dates, primary language data collection, and a policy review of officers asking about probation/parole status during vehicle stops. The commission requested a formal review of that policy.
- Collaborative Review of SPD Use of Force by California DOJ: Dr. Randy Chance and Supervising Deputy Attorney General Sue Slager presented an overview of the independent assessment, which includes data collection, policy review, stakeholder interviews, and focus groups. A public report will be issued at a later date. The commission discussed collaboration with the U.S. DOJ Community Relations Service and ensuring linkage to the commission's ad hoc work.
- State Legislation AB-931 and SB-1421: Rory Kaufman (Office of Assemblymember Shirley Weber) presented AB-931, which would change the use-of-force standard from objectively reasonable to necessary. John Scovill (Office of Senator Nancy Skinner) and Nikki Moore (California News Publishers Association) presented SB-1421, which would require disclosure of police records in cases of serious use of force, sexual misconduct, and dishonesty. Commissioners discussed the bills' implications and scope of commission authority to take positions. No formal vote was taken; the item was received and filed. Commissioners were encouraged to contact their council members directly.
- Diversity Ad Hoc Committee Update: The committee reported continued work on a survey for officers and a list of questions for community outreach. Discussion centered on scheduling community meetings, with agreement to hold two special commission meetings.
- Accountability Ad Hoc Committee Update: The committee proposed four recommendations for the SPD Use of Force policy: (1) explicitly state force as a last resort, (2) explicitly state proportionality, (3) apply the immediate threat standard to all deadly force, and (4) require verbal warnings whenever feasible. These will be forwarded to the SPD Use of Force Committee. Broader policy topics were also raised.
- Strategic Plan for 2018: The commission discussed coordinating community outreach with the federal DOJ Community Relations Service process. Concerns were raised about meeting fatigue and role clarity. The commission agreed to proceed with its own special meetings.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar approved.
- All discussion items received and filed.
- The commission decided to hold two special community meetings: June 20, 2018 (North) and June 21, 2018 (South), both from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Staff will arrange venues and public notice.
- Accountability Ad Hoc recommendations to be forwarded to SPD Use of Force Committee for response by August 2018.
- Commissioner Hoyt requested a formal presentation on sexual assault and crimes against women for the September 2018 agenda.
- Staff will work to provide printed copies of learning domains (academy training materials) for ad hoc committee use.
- The U.S. DOJ Community Relations Service process will be added as a standing agenda item for updates.
Public Comments – Matters Not on the Agenda
- None.
Meeting Transcript
All right, roll call. Commissioner Sabiano. Holman. Guerrero. Escobar. Present. Zamora. Present. Falcone. Here. Carter. Present. Chair Call. Excuse me, Alkara. Here. Can we have a quorum? If you're here to speak to the commission, um, please fill out a speaker slip. You'll find them located in the back of the window or back of the room by the window, and turn into the assistant clerk. You also see the assistant clerk for a assisted listening or speaking device, and this is the time to turn your cell phones and other devices to silent. We have a full agenda today. Start off, um, a few members of the use of force committee went out to um the academy, and um we were going over the less lethal doors that uh the department is employed now, and the good news is that every patrol car's shotguns have been reconfigured uh for less lethal, so they're no they're no longer lethal, and we got to see that in action and talk to them about policy. And uh we'll talk more about that later. Um first item on the agenda consent calendar one approval of commission meeting minutes from April 9th. Do we have a motion to approve? A second? All right, all those in favor? Any opposed? Abstentions, all right. The eyes have it. Discussion calendar two. Uh presentation of April twenty eighteen, please complain activity report. Francine. Thank you, Chair. So it's just putting the PowerPoint up. For the month of April, there were a total of six community complaints with a total of seven allegations involving six officers. Any questions? No, didn't mean to do can you give us a little bit more information about why they were closed. Previous closed complaints. It was a very light, like basically he escorted him out without even twisting his arm. So the video from the body warrant camera did not um support the statement that the gentleman made that his arm was wrenched up and then causing an injury to his shoulder. So that one was closed for no merit. And the second one was basically were during the protests that were happening downtown, a woman left a message stating um she had questions as to who was protecting the property of people in the community because there had been a window that was broken out. Um, and that why were the officers allowing individuals to vandalize the city was basically so I called to um give her a message, she did not return my call, but I gave her feedback to SPD. So that was closed as well. Just if you could remind us how where do we see the dates that these were filed or opened for the ones that were closed specifically? Um so we can add on there the months that they were opened, basically. That'd be great. We can just add that to the sense of how long. Yeah, yeah. But I can tell you for those, uh, they were open and closed in the same month.
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