Sacramento Community Police Review Commission Meeting - August 11, 2025

The Sacramento Community Police Review Commission met on Monday, August 11, 2025, at 5:30 PM at City Hall Complex. The meeting covered routine approvals, public comments, and discussions on the Military Equipment Use (MEU) policy, an audit of the Police Department's MEU policy and inventory practices, and progress reports from ad hoc committees. The meeting adjourned at 6:50 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1: Approved the meeting minutes from June 9, 2025. (File ID: 2025-00062)
• Item 2: Reviewed and filed the Follow-Up Log. (File ID: 2025-01529)
• Action: Passed via a single motion (8-0, with Commissioner Griggs absent). Motion by Commissioner Sample, seconded by Commissioner Korbs.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Matters Not on the Agenda: Two speakers addressed the commission:
  • William Cho commended the AB 481 community forum and encouraged the commission to view issues objectively. He mentioned the Blue Envelope Program (page 92 of the agenda packet).
  • Henry Harry requested improvements to the commission website (adding contact information for commissioners), called for monthly understandable crime statistics (rapes, burglaries, etc.), and proposed an amendment to the commission's charge to review all misconduct investigations not generated by citizen complaints. He also raised a specific incident on February 27, 2025, where police did not respond to a home break-in call, and asked the commission to investigate staffing levels and response protocols.
• On Discussion Item 5 (Ad Hoc Report Back): Henry Harry spoke again, urging the commission to take action on community suggestions and to make the website more engaging, with more detailed minutes.

Discussion Items

• Item 3: MEU Forum Reflections and Presentation (File ID: 2025-01016)
  • Captain Clay Buchanan of SPD presented updates on the 2025 Military Equipment Use Policy, including community forum feedback, changes to the annual report (comparable usage data, policy linking, call initiation data), and usage statistics (398 incidents involving military equipment out of ~200,000 police responses; 1,205 pieces used; drones were the most utilized at 557 uses). The department proposed acquisitions mainly for replenishment and a new drone model, already budgeted.
  • Commissioners asked about drone docking stations, communication with the public during deployments (via airdata.com and RAVE system), and the timeline for policy approval. The department is working with the city attorney to fix the compressed timeline, expecting a solution in 2-3 months.
  • Commissioners expressed support for the MEU policy, noting that much of the equipment is de-escalation tools and that the commission would not recommend delaying council approval. Chair Carter Martinez confirmed the commission supports the report for the council vote scheduled for the next day.
• Item 4: Audit of SPD MEU Policy and Inventory Practices (File ID: 2025-01128)
  • Assistant City Auditor Kevin Christensen presented the audit findings: four findings and nine recommendations. Highlights included: the department has made strides in reporting and community outreach; the timeline for annual approval has contracted (eight days in year 2, 18 days in year 3, 25 days in year 4) and may become impossible in about seven years; areas needing clarification from city council (e.g., community engagement structure, reporting metrics); and decentralized inventory management leading to missing equipment counts and reconciliation issues.
  • The department concurred with all findings. Commissioners discussed inventory tracking and noted improvements. No vote was required; the item was for review and comment.
• Item 5: Ad Hoc Report Back (File ID: 2025-01467)
  • Engagement and Function Committee (Commissioner Sample): Reported on improving onboarding for new commissioners (presentation planned for September), prioritizing recent recommendations for city council updates, clarifying commission powers, and engaging youth voices. Commissioner Korbs added that they have reached out to SPD for onboarding materials and plan to involve Commissioner Brookins' Brother to Brother program for youth engagement.
  • Community Policing and Response Efficiency Committee (Commissioner Lewis): Focused on organizing a traffic safety community forum in high-incident areas, using aggregated traffic data, and coordinating with SPD's traffic division.
  • Resource Allocation and Efficiency Committee (Vice Chair Buenrostro): Reported no new updates but expects a report at the next meeting.
  • Public comment and commissioner discussion followed, with Henry Harry emphasizing the need for a process to address community policy requests and improved website communication. Commissioner Brookins proposed creating a formal process for following up on public suggestions. Chair Carter Martinez agreed to add this to the next meeting's agenda. Commissioner Sample noted that the work plan includes researching civilian oversight models for community engagement. The commission discussed challenges with the website and commissioner contact information.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar approved unanimously.
• The commission expressed support for the MEU policy and the SPD annual report, with no formal vote needed.
• The audit findings and recommendations were received and commented on; no action required.
• Ad hoc committees will continue their work: the Engagement and Function Committee will present an onboarding proposal in September; the Community Policing Committee will proceed with a traffic safety forum; and the Resource Allocation Committee will report back next month.
• Chair Carter Martinez committed to adding an agenda item for the September meeting to develop a process for responding to public suggestions and policy requests.
• The commission acknowledged the need to improve its website and explore options for providing public contact information.