Measure U Community Advisory Committee & Sacramento Community Police Review Commission Joint Meeting - July 19, 2021

The joint meeting of the Measure U Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission (CPRC) was held via teleconference on Monday, July 19, 2021. The meeting began at 6:18 p.m. and adjourned at 8:20 p.m. Key topics included findings from a public deliberation study on police reforms, the Police Department FY2021/22 budget, and potential collaboration between the two bodies. Members expressed frustration over the Sacramento Police Department's absence and lack of detailed budget data.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1 (Police Department FY2021/22 Budget Update) was initially listed on the Consent Calendar but was removed for separate discussion at the request of a member. After public comment and member discussion, the item was received and filed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dr. Karine Macintosh Sacco, a licensed clinical psychologist and District 7 resident, expressed strong support for incorporating the study's findings, emphasizing that empirical evidence shows the community wants substantial police reform and a smaller police presence.
• Brian Powers questioned the scientific validity of the study's small sample size (42 Sacramento participants) and the study's design, asking who commissioned it. Dr. Pat Powers responded that the purpose of public deliberation is to elicit community values, not statistical rigor, and that the study was funded by the Blue Shield of California Foundation.
• Maria Elena criticized Measure U funding being used for police rather than youth programs, citing a community event that promoted gun imagery as harmful. She also called for transparency in the police budget.
• Evan Minton, a transgender white resident, expressed fear for his biracial nephew and urged the commissions to continue their work despite the police department's absence.
• Jeffery Tardagia asked for better meeting notifications and suggested police be required to attend to receive Measure U funds.
• Ramon Ramirez Rodriguez criticized the police department's handling of protests and racial bias, advocating for shifting funds to social services.

Discussion Items

Item 2: Key Findings from a Public Deliberation Study to Elicit Community Views on Police Reforms

• Dr. Pat Powers and Dr. Shawnee Buggs from UC Davis presented results from a public deliberation study involving 42 Sacramento participants. The study asked participants to choose among four reform options: (1) increase transparency and accountability (12% selected), (2) enhance training (12%), (3) reduce policing by shifting nonviolent response (38%), (4) replace and reimagine policing (38%). Over 80% of participants said the session expanded their views, and 1 in 10 changed their preferred option after deliberation. The percentage favoring a smaller police presence increased by 16 percentage points post-deliberation. The study also noted that the city devotes about 26% of unrestricted tax revenue and 50% of Measure U funds to policing, and a 2% reduction could fund 73 behavioral health peer specialists, 63 paramedics, or 60 mental health workers.
• Members asked about the difficulty of finding police budget information, the CAHOOTS model in Oregon, and the sample size. Several members expressed appreciation for the study and desired future replication on a larger scale with better advance materials.

Item 1: Police Department FY2021/22 Budget Update (removed from Consent Calendar)

• Commissioner Keyan Bliss expressed disappointment that the Sacramento Police Department did not attend the meeting to answer questions. He criticized the department's response as vague and lacking measurable outcomes. He noted the department's request for a record $165.9 million budget and raised concerns about $30 million in overtime overspending.
• Members discussed the need for better metrics and accountability. Dawn Holm, Finance Director, stated the city does not do programmatic budgeting but can provide additional detail on request. She noted that Measure U funds make up about 3% of the police budget ($45–47 million).
• Commissioner Renee Carter suggested a desk audit of police positions to assess measurable outcomes. Members supported future joint meetings where the police department can present and answer questions.

Item 3: Open Discussion Regarding Potential Collaboration between the Measure U Community Advisory Committee and the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission

• Members discussed several collaborative ideas: holding a joint meeting with the City Council and the public; forming a joint ad hoc committee to analyze police budget and metrics; reducing police funding from Measure U by 2% annually and reallocating to other services; using public deliberation methods to inform Measure U spending; and reviewing the city's community survey on public safety.
• Deputy City Attorney advised that any formal ad hoc committees should be established at each body's separate meetings.
• Vice Chair Williams summarized broad support for continued collaboration, scheduling a follow-up joint meeting in the fall, and having the police department attend future meetings.

Key Outcomes

• The Police Department FY2021/22 Budget Update was received and filed after discussion.
• The findings from the public deliberation study were received and filed.
• The two bodies agreed to pursue continued collaboration, including a joint meeting with the City Council to discuss police funding and reform.
• Staff will present a revised Measure U budget breakdown aligned by program at the August 16, 2021 Measure U CAC meeting.
• Members noted the need for a joint ad hoc committee (to be formalized separately) to analyze the police department's budget and outcomes.
• Future joint meetings will request the Sacramento Police Department's attendance to answer questions directly.