Sacramento Community Police Review Commission Meeting - May 9, 2022
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Sacramento Community Police Review Commission Meeting - May 9, 2022
The Sacramento Community Police Review Commission met on Monday, May 9, 2022, at 6:06 p.m. via teleconference. The meeting included approval of the consent calendar, updates from the Office of Public Safety Accountability (OPSA) and the Sacramento Police Department (SPD), a detailed discussion on SPD's Military Equipment Policy (GO 410.06) under AB 481, ad hoc committee updates, and commissioner comments. The meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
Consent Calendar
- The commission unanimously approved the April 11, 2022 meeting minutes and received and filed the follow-up log. Motion by Commissioner Michael Marion, seconded by Commissioner Mario Guerrero; passed 7-0 (Commissioners Carter, Espinoza Salazar, and Jefferson absent).
Public Comments & Testimony
- On the Military Equipment Policy (Item 3): Six members of the public spoke. Louisa Melher expressed concern about the process lacking civilian oversight and requested full reporting on equipment deployments. Barb Atwell (American Friends Service Committee) noted that the policy does not comply with AB 48 (limiting tear gas use) and that authorized uses are not clearly defined. Marshall Arnwine (ACLU NorCal) argued the policy violates AB 481 by not specifying purpose and authorized use, citing the phrase "not limited to" as making authorized uses limitless. Jennifer II (American Friends Service Committee) urged rejection, citing the NYPD's LRAD lawsuit and lack of conformance with AB 48. Diane Rosenbloom (Curtis Park resident) highlighted risks of LRAD hearing damage and the need for prohibited uses, especially for crowd control. John Lindsay Poland (American Friends Service Committee) emphasized the need for de-escalation requirements and reference to AB 48 limitations.
- On Matters Not on the Agenda: No public comments were received.
Discussion Items
- Item 3: SPD Military Equipment Policy (GO 410.06) – The commission viewed a video presentation from the March 29, 2022 Law and Legislation Committee. Deputy Chief Norm Leon explained that four items were omitted in the December 2021 emergency ordinance: flashbangs, armor-piercing ammunition, a micro-UAV, and a larger UAV. Deputy Chief Leon stated that the policy must be reauthorized annually by ordinance. Assistant City Attorney Kurt Wenner clarified that the 180-day review period begins upon submission (March 25, 2022) and that equipment can be used during the review. Commissioner comments raised concerns about the lack of specificity on prohibited uses, non-compliance with AB 48, and the need for demographic data in annual reports. The commission decided to form an ad hoc committee (Commissioners Bliss, Guerrero, Falcon, Elkarra, and Castillo-Krings) to draft a letter of recommendations by May 20, 2022, to be submitted to the Law and Legislation Committee and SPD. The letter will address clarity on authorized/prohibited uses, references to existing policies, and recommendations for annual reporting.
- Item 4: Ad Hoc Committee Updates – Commissioners provided updates on their respective ad hoc committees: Guerrero (LGBTQ+ policy and implementation), Bliss (surveillance and budget transparency), and Williamson (training scenarios). Commissioner Guerrero noted that the city council has not yet adopted a process for tracking recommendations. Commissioner Bliss requested a special meeting in June or July to discuss a partnership with UC Davis for confidential access to 911 call/dispatch data and a grant opportunity for data sharing.
Key Outcomes
- The consent calendar was approved unanimously.
- An ad hoc committee (five commissioners) was formed to draft a letter of recommendations on the Military Equipment Policy by May 20, 2022. The letter will be submitted to SPD and the Law and Legislation Committee.
- The commission will continue to track SPD's progress on the gender diverse persons general order and media relations policy, with SPD committing to provide written responses on accepted and declined recommendations.
- Vice Chair Bliss read a letter from a community member regarding a hostage standoff on 58th Street (April 25-26, 2022), raising concerns about inadequate communication from SPD to residents. The commission will consider incorporating these concerns into future recommendations.
- Commissioner Falcon reported on a community meet-and-greet with Chief Lester, noting ongoing dialogue with the Latino community.
Meeting Transcript
Thank you very much, Chair. We are live and staff is ready when you are. Great, thank you. Good evening and welcome to the Monday, May 9th, 2022 Sacramento Community Police Review Commission meeting. The meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call the roll and established quorum? Yes, thank you, Chair. Members at this time, if you can please unmute and turn on your video. Commissioner Guerrero. Present. Commissioner Carter is absent at this time. Commissioner Alcara. Present. Commissioner Falcon. Present. Commissioner Marion is absent. Commissioner Espinoza Salazar is absent. Commissioner Williamson. Present. Commissioner Jefferson is absent. Vice Chair Bliss. Here. Chair Castillo Kringles. Here. Thank you. We do have quorum. Thank you, Blair. Okay, moving on with our agenda. The meeting is virtual via Zoom. For members of the public who wish to join, please refer to the agenda for the Zoom link. Once you have joined the meeting and you wish to speak, raise your hand to provide public comment when the chair confirms that the public comment speaking period for your desired item. If you are online, click on raise hand on the bottom of the screen. If you are using a mobile app in the mobile app, you can raise your hand by tapping the raise hand option in the board tab. If you are calling in via telephone to raise your hand, dial star nine, then unmute or mute, dial star six. Speakers will be called by the last four digits of their phone number. You will have two minutes to speak once you are called. We will now proceed with today's agenda. We will move to our land acknowledgement. Please rise for the opening and acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's Indigenous People and Tribal Lands. To the original people of this land, the Nisi non-people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Mewalk, the Putwin Wintu peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federal recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the Native people who came before us and still walk besides us on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's Indigenous People's History Contributions and Live. Thank you. Please remain standing. Great. So we're gonna move on to updates. For chair's report. I don't have at the moment any additional conversations I need to report. So next thing moving on. We are going to talk about the Office of Public Safety Accountability Update. Is there an update?
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