Sacramento Community Police Review Commission Regular Meeting - April 11, 2022

The Sacramento Community Police Review Commission met via Zoom teleconference on Monday, April 11, 2022, from approximately 6:02 p.m. to 7:39 p.m. Chair Graciella Castillo-Krings presided. Commissioners present: Keyan Bliss, Renee Carter, Basim Elkarra, Richard Falcon, Mario Guerrero, Xochimilco Espinoza Salazar, and Stephen Williamson. Commissioners Greg Jefferson and Michael Marion were absent.

Consent Calendar

• The consent calendar was moved by Commissioner Guerrero, seconded by Commissioner Williamson, and approved unanimously (8 yes, 0 no; Jefferson and Marion absent).
• Item 1: Approved the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission meeting minutes of March 14, 2022.
• Item 2: Received and filed the 2021 Quarter 4 Police Complaint Activity Report.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Christina Gillardi and Ryan McClinton of Public Health Advocates commented during the Sacramento Police Department update. They expressed concern that qualitative/freeform CAD data is not being released, which they said limits community oversight and planning for alternative response to behavioral health crises. They suggested contracting an external researcher, creating checkboxes in CAD fields, and asked what clearance an external analyst would need.
• Barry Boyd, in public comment on matters not on the agenda, requested that the commission also receive a presentation on Rosenberg's Rules of Parliamentary Procedure, in addition to the proposed Brown Act training.

Chair's Update

• Chair Castillo-Krings reported that the Sacramento City Council considered seven commission recommendations at its March 22, 2022 meeting. The council referred Recommendation 1 (additional staff support) to the budget/audit committee; folded Recommendations 2, 4, and 5 into a broader commission process being developed by Mayor Steinberg's personnel and public employees committee; treated Recommendations 3 and 6 (annual meeting with police chief and SPD liaison attendance) as already underway; and adopted Recommendation 7 with amended language replacing "authority" with "opportunity" for the commission to review and provide feedback on SPD general orders related to body-worn cameras, foot pursuits, and use of force and discipline.
• Commissioner Guerrero and Vice Chair Bliss emphasized that even practices currently being done should be codified in writing so future SPD leadership and staff are clear about their obligations. Commissioner Guerrero, who attended with the Chair, asked that these commitments be kept explicit.
• The Chair also described plans to meet individually with city council members and noted the tight timeline for setting the next agenda. She asked commissioners to email OPSA with any proposed agenda items or rules changes.

Rules of Procedure Proposal

• Vice Chair Bliss presented proposed amendments to the commission's Rules of Procedure, including: adding individual attachments identifying requesting commissioners to agenda packets; publishing supplemental written materials and presentations on the city website as separate attachments; increasing public comment time to five minutes for matters not on the agenda and three minutes for consent/discussion calendar items; eliminating the eight-minute-per-meeting speaker cap; allowing speakers 30 seconds to finish after the time limit; permitting speakers to yield their place in queue; and keeping public comment open until the chair closes it.
• Commissioner Falcon suggested uniform time limits across agenda items to avoid public confusion. Commissioner Guerrero asked for clarification on how ad hoc committee chairs are selected.
• The commission agreed that all commissioner feedback must be gathered first, the city attorney's office must review the document, and then the final rules proposal would be agendized for a future vote.

Sacramento Police Department Update

• Lt. Galliano provided the SPD update. The department had finalized the commission's communications center data request, producing four Excel spreadsheets via Dropbox containing redacted data from approximately 1.4 million calls for service across four years. Redactions included addresses for sexual assault and domestic violence reports.
• Lt. Galliano explained that structured CAD data fields can be pulled, but freeform text entered by dispatchers and officers is not extractable by the data system. He stated that answering all 54 requested questions for all calls would take roughly 144 employees working full-time for a year, so SPD released only pullable data. He also said ride-alongs have resumed for prospective applicants.
• Vice Chair Bliss and Commissioner Williamson pressed for access to more data, including the freeform notes, or a narrower filter request, and asked for a written explanation for each withheld data field. Commissioner Williamson asked whether narrowing by type/location/ZIP code could allow de-identified freeform text to be reviewed. Lt. Galliano responded that redaction would still be required and that raw CAD calls are generally not releasable except for SB 16/SB 1421 qualifying events (about 200 in SPD history). The city attorney's office said it would need to consult SPD's attorney on the legal interpretation.
• Commissioner Guerrero thanked SPD for its work on the transgender/gender non-conforming policy and media policy, and requested written follow-up on outstanding recommendations.

Discussion Item: Follow-Up Log

• The follow-up log was received and filed. During discussion, commissioners added the following requests:
  • Vice Chair Bliss requested a May 9, 2022 presentation from SPD on the military equipment use policy, General Order 4106, with Deputy Chief Norman Leong as presenter, and a presentation from ACLU representative Marshall Arnwine on AB 481 and SPD's proposed policy. He also requested a written response explaining unavailable data fields from the CAD release. He noted an apparent discrepancy in policy versions: the copy shared with the commission was dated November 10, 2022 (likely a transcription error for 2021), while the version shared with the council's Law and Legislation Committee was updated February 10, 2022.
  • Chair Castillo-Krings requested a city clerk presentation on the Brown Act for commissioner training.
  • Commissioner Guerrero requested that OPSA check with the city council on sending commissioners to the NACOL conference (September 11-15), and requested a standing agenda item for ad hoc committee reports.
  • Commissioner Falcon asked how redistricting affects commissioner district assignments; the deputy city clerk said staff would follow up.

Other Commissioner Comments

• Commissioner Falcon announced a community town hall with Police Chief Lester on May 7, 2022, 2-4 p.m., at the Maple Neighborhood Center, 3301 37th Avenue, hosted by United Latinos, the Hispanic Chamber, and the Office of Community Engagement.
• Vice Chair Bliss commented on the recent K Street shooting near 10th Street, expressed heartbreak for victims, cautioned against what he called false narratives using the tragedy, and urged the community and media to wait for all facts and focus on healing.

Key Outcomes

• Consent calendar approved unanimously: March 14, 2022 minutes approved; 2021 Q4 Police Complaint Activity Report received and filed.
• Follow-up log received and filed; new items were added for staff follow-up.
• SPD data request discussions will continue: Vice Chair Bliss will provide written follow-up on missing data fields; city attorney's office will consult with SPD's attorney regarding SB 16/SB 1421 access.
• May 9, 2022 agenda requests: SPD General Order 4106 presentation and ACLU AB 481 presentation.
• Rules of Procedure changes will be circulated for commissioner feedback, reviewed by the city attorney's office, and brought back to a future meeting for a vote.
• OPSA will follow up on Brown Act training, Rosenberg's Rules presentation, NACOL conference training opportunities, and the commissioner redistricting question.
• Meeting adjourned at 7:39 p.m.