Sacramento Community Police Review Commission Meeting - April 8, 2019

The Sacramento Community Police Review Commission held a regular meeting on Monday, April 8, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber. Chair Kiran Savage-Sangwan presided. Commissioners present were Basim Elkarra, Mario Guerrero, Eddie Escobar, Renee Carter, and Richard Falcon. Commissioners Mariana Sabeniano, Sam Kinsey, and Erandi Zamora were absent. The meeting featured a detailed presentation from the California Department of Justice on its January 29, 2019 report and recommendations regarding the Sacramento Police Department's use of force policies and practices, updates from several ad hoc committees, and public testimony.

Consent Calendar

• The Consent Calendar was approved by a motion from Commissioner Elkarra, seconded by Commissioner Falcon. Voting yes: Chair Savage-Sangwan, Commissioners Elkarra, Guerrero, Carter, Falcon. Commissioner Escobar abstained. The Consent Calendar included:
  • Approval of the March 11, 2019 Commission Meeting Minutes.
  • Receipt and filing of the January Through March 2019 Police Complaint Activity Report.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Compassionate Capital Region / Compassionate Sacramento: Seven district compassion ambassadors (Laura Hanson, Joan Marie, Melinda Penny Washington, Melissa, Amanda Baker, Deatrice Lockhart, and others) provided an overview of the Compassionate Cities Initiative, their roles as ambassadors aligned to council districts, and their efforts to foster community engagement and trust between law enforcement and the community. They expressed support for collaborative, compassionate approaches to public safety.
• Tonya Faison (Black Lives Matter Sacramento): Reported on recent police interactions in Oak Park, including an incident where a 20-year-old driver was pulled over by Officer Mohammed, had his phone slapped out of his hand, and was handcuffed—allegedly for speeding initially, then for tinted windows. She argued that the commission's focus on what the police do right is misplaced, stating oversight should prioritize addressing problems and lives lost. She urged the commission to represent the community's interests.

Discussion Items

• Presentation on California DOJ Report and Recommendations: Deputy Attorney General Ronald Lee and former COPS Office Director Ronald Davis presented key findings and recommendations from the January 29, 2019 report. Recommendations included making de-escalation an affirmative duty, enforcing proportionality in use of force, strengthening foot pursuit policies (including immediate activation of body-worn cameras), categorizing use of force into three levels (Level 3 being most serious) with commensurate investigation and review, establishing a multidisciplinary team (e.g., a force investigation team) and a use of force review board, formalizing an MOU with the Office of Public Safety Accountability (OPSA), and prohibiting chokeholds and carotid restraints (except when officers are in life-threatening situations). Commissioners asked about the foot pursuit policy timeline, accountability mechanisms (to be addressed in Phase 2 of the assessment), the distinction between recommendations five and six (multidisciplinary team vs. use of force review board), community engagement in training, and the difference between the current "objective reasonableness" standard and the recommended "necessity" standard. Deputy Chief Bernard confirmed SPD has implemented many recommendations and is working on a matrix for the rest. Director Francine Tournour of OPSA supported an MOU to institutionalize the relationship.
• Use of Force Training Review Committee Update: No meeting occurred; no update.
• Mental Health Ad Hoc Committee Update: Commissioner Falcon reported meeting with Supervisor Patrick Kennedy and plans to meet with Butte County and NAMI. He announced his resignation from the commission (effective upon replacement) and stepped back as chair. Commissioner Guerrero suggested pausing the committee due to vacancies and reported a conference call with the LA Mobile Crisis Support Team.
• Use of Force Ad Hoc Committee Update: Commissioner Guerrero reported a foundational meeting with SPD Captains Joy and Risley, covering foot pursuit policies and other topics. He requested community input on policies and jurisdictions to study.
• Body Worn Camera Ad Hoc Committee Update: No update (Commissioner Sabeniano absent).
• Police Commission Chair’s Update: Chair Savage-Sangwan reported that items requested by commissioners (policies/procedures, protest policy) are being worked on; the commission will break in June/July and should plan community outreach; she presented the commission's use of force recommendations to the city council and will convene stakeholders (SPD, SPOA, city manager, city attorney) to align policies; she and Commissioner Elkarra met with the Sacramento Peace Officers Association (SPOA), who have been invited to a future meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Approved Consent Calendar (meeting minutes and complaint report).
• Received and filed the California DOJ report and recommendations (Item 3).
• Received and filed all committee updates (Items 4-8).
• Commissioner Richard Falcon resigned; his service was thanked by the commission.
• Chair will work with city manager's office to convene a meeting of stakeholders on the use of force policy recommendation.
• Commissioner Guerrero requested formation of an ad hoc committee on commission rules of procedure; the chair noted staff will draft and bring back to the commission.
• Next regular meeting scheduled for May 13, 2019, at 6:00 p.m.