Sacramento Community Police Review Commission Meeting – November 3, 2025

The Sacramento Community Police Review Commission held a regular meeting on Monday, November 3, 2025, from 5:35 p.m. to 6:47 p.m. at City Hall Complex, 915 I Street. Chair Kim Carter Martinez presided. Commissioners discussed the 2026 work plan, commissioner communications, ad hoc committee progress, the Blue Envelope program, and a follow-up log cleanup proposal. Several public comments were heard.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1 – Approval of September 15, 2025 Meeting Minutes: Passed with 7 yes votes (Commissioners Brookins, Coleman, Griggs, J. Johnson, Korbs, Espinoza Salazar, and Chair Carter Martinez abstaining due to absence at prior meeting). Commissioners Buenrostro, Gianulias, Lewis, and Sample were absent.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Matters Not on the Agenda: Two speakers provided comments.
  • Clayton Buchanan (Vice President, Sacramento City Exempt Employees Association) clarified that the association does not give political contributions to elected officials, correcting a previous statement.
  • Henry Harry challenged the mayor and city council’s dual role as police department managers and independent overseers, urging the commission to take a stronger oversight role. He also proposed a mechanism for mayoral review of serious officer discipline before finalization.
• Item 3 – Commissioner Communications: Henry Harry again spoke, urging commissioners to retain the ability to speak individually without limitation, and cautioned against self-imposed restrictions.

Discussion Items

• Item 2 – Review 2026 Work Plan Outline: Commissioners discussed creating a work plan for 2026. Volunteers to draft an outline included Commissioner Coleman, Chair Carter Martinez, and Vice Chair Buenrostro. The goal is to present an outline at the December meeting and adopt it in January 2026.
• Item 3 – Commissioner Communications with Media and Other Agencies: Clarified existing rules: commissioners who speak to media or at City Council must state they are speaking as individuals, not on behalf of the commission. The Engagement and Function Ad Hoc Committee was directed to research and develop recommendations on this topic for commission approval.
• Item 4 – Ad Hoc Committee Report Back:
  • Engagement and Function Committee (Commissioner Korbs, absent Commissioner Sample): Discussed community engagement ideas (e.g., SAC State event with Commissioner Espinoza Salazar) and training/onboarding for commissioners. A training outline prepared by Captain Blake Norton was reviewed. Due to quorum rules, training for the full commission would require a public meeting; splitting into groups of fewer than a quorum (before/after meetings) was suggested as a workaround. Commissioners expressed interest in the training plan.
  • Community Policing and Response Efficiency Committee: No update reported.
  • Resource Allocation and Efficiency at Impacting Public Safety Committee: Chair Lewis was absent; no meeting held. Report expected in December.
• Item 5 – Blue Envelope Program: Commissioner Korbs presented the program, which uses a visual tool (blue envelope, lanyard, wristband) to alert law enforcement that a person has a disability (e.g., autism, cognitive condition) requiring extra patience and empathy during interactions. Guest William Cho (Sacramento County Sheriff’s Review Commission) provided a detailed presentation, noting that 12 states and 16 California counties have adopted it, with a startup cost of approximately $5,000 for 700 kits. Captain Buchanan noted a parallel Sacramento PD program (“Return Me Safe”) but acknowledged the Blue Envelope addresses different needs (traffic stops vs. missing persons). Commissioners expressed support and referred the matter to the Community Policing and Response Efficiency Ad Hoc Committee for further research and possible recommendation to the Sacramento Police Department.
• Item 6 – Follow-Up Log Clean Up Proposal: Vice Chair Buenrostro proposed refreshing the follow-up log, retaining only three items: a presentation on the Professional Standards Unit, the department’s annual budget process, and hiring practices (to include hiring challenges). Commissioners requested time to review the log; the item was continued to the December 8, 2025 meeting without a vote.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar approved for Item 1.
• Item 2 – Volunteers identified to draft the 2026 work plan outline.
• Item 3 – Direction given to Engagement and Function Ad Hoc to develop communication guidelines.
• Item 4 – Ad hoc committee updates received; training plan to be prioritized using a ranked list of topics distributed before the December meeting.
• Item 5 – Blue Envelope program referred to Community Policing and Response Efficiency Ad Hoc for further review and possible recommendation.
• Item 6 – Continued to December 8, 2025, pending commissioner review of the follow-up log.
• Next Meeting: Scheduled for December 8, 2025.