Sacramento Community Police Review Commission Meeting - October 14, 2019

The Sacramento Community Police Review Commission met on Monday, October 14, 2019 at 6:01 PM in the City Hall Council Chamber, adjourning at 7:25 PM. The commission voted unanimously to forward recommendations from three ad hoc committees (Use of Force, Body Worn Cameras, and Mental Health) to the City Council, and received updates on committee status and a follow-up log.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1 – Meeting Minutes: Approved minutes from December 18, 2018, January 14, 2019, February 11, 2019, and March 11, 2019 as amended, and minutes from April 8, May 13, July 16, July 23, August 12, and September 9, 2019. (Motion by Commissioner Guerrero, second by Commissioner Elkarra; vote 9-0, with Commissioner Zamora absent.)
• Item 2 – Police Complaint Activity Report (July-September 2019): Received and filed.

Discussion Items

Item 3: Recommendations from Ad Hoc Committees

Three sets of recommendations were presented and approved for forwarding to the City Council.

Use of Force Committee (Commissioners Guerrero, Carter, Zamora, Elkarra):

• Recommended incorporating California's AB 392 (effective January 1, 2020) which changes the use-of-force standard from "reasonable" to "necessary."
• Proposed a standalone duty-to-render-aid policy, stronger de-escalation language, adding "gravity of suspected activity" to foot pursuit policy, requiring body-worn cameras to be turned on as soon as physically possible during pursuits, consolidating reporting procedures, treating CEWs (conducted energy weapons) as use of force, and mandatory drug testing of officers within 24 hours after a death or serious bodily injury.
• Discussion: Commissioner Guerrero expressed concern that the existing police department policy did not reflect AB 392, while Captain Bernard asserted it was vetted by the city attorney and complies. The commission agreed to schedule a detailed review for a future meeting.

Body Worn Camera Committee (Commissioners Sabeniano, Elkarra, others):

• Five recommendations: (1) Ensure all uniformed officers have body-worn cameras; (2) Document instances where officers go into service without a camera; (3) Replace "private citizens" with "members of the public" in policies; (4) Allow community members to view footage before filing a complaint; (5) Require cameras to be turned on before approaching a location when responding to a dispatch call.
• Additional recommendation: Create a General Order for releasing recordings, addressing standardized processes, engagement with non-English speakers, and sensitivity toward minors and victims of domestic abuse.
• Noted that 24/7 recording is not currently feasible but agreed to revisit in one year as technology improves.

Mental Health Committee (Commissioners Falcon, Guerrero, King):

• Provided legislative background (Props 63, 36, 47) and noted that all Sacramento Police Department officers have completed the required 40-hour CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) training.
• Observations: Funding for county mental health services not fully utilized; data sharing siloed; rising suicide ideation among youth; need for co-occurring disorder recognition.
• Recommendations: Update General Order 52201 (handling mentally ill persons) to include co-occurring disorders and CIT language; review all general orders for opportunities to incorporate CIT; additional dispatcher training; consider a separate non-emergency number for mental health calls; recertification for CIT team members; use person-first language ("people with mental illness"); increase number of CIT teams as funding allows.
• Clarified that a recommendation to continue the ad hoc committee would not be forwarded, as committee structure is internal to the commission.

Item 4: Status Update on Ad Hoc Committees

• Assistant City Clerk Wendy Klock-Johnson reported that the Mental Health Ad Hoc, formed September 2018, exceeded its temporary duration. Future work must be handled through the full commission or a new focused ad hoc. A request for quarterly meetings with the police department would require a standing committee, which is not supported. Informal meetings are permissible if disclosed.

Item 5: Follow-Up Log

• The log tracks outstanding items: Commissioner Falcon’s requests for Spanish translation of commission documents and partnership with the Parks Commission; a use-of-force policy update scheduled for December; a PRA issue raised by a community member. The clerk will maintain the log for future agendas.

Key Outcomes

• Votes: Three motions to forward recommendations to City Council passed unanimously (9-0).
  • Use of Force: Motion by Commissioner Elkarra, second by Commissioner King.
  • Body Worn Camera: Motion by Commissioner Sabeniano, second by Commissioner Elkarra.
  • Mental Health: Motion by Commissioner Falcon, second by Commissioner Guerrero.
• Schedule: Final language for recommendations due to Assistant City Clerk by November 20, 2019, for inclusion at the December City Council meeting (consent item).
• Future Meetings: Detailed briefing on police department’s use-of-force policy (including AB 392 compliance) scheduled for December 2019; overview of PRA process likely February 2020.
• Other: Revisit body-worn camera technology in one year; mental health ad hoc sunset; Spanish translation advocacy referred to individual council members.