San Diego Public Safety & Gang Prevention Joint Meeting Summary – November 1, 2017

This special joint meeting of the Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee and the Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention was held on November 1, 2017, at Bell Middle School in San Diego. The meeting focused on community-police relations, gang prevention and intervention efforts, gang database review findings, and the annual update from the Community Review Board on Police Practices. Public comments and discussions addressed concerns about policing practices, gang documentation, and the need for community-centered approaches.

Consent Calendar

• The record of action items for the October 4th meeting was adopted by unanimous consent.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Non-Agenda Public Comments:

  • Marissa Acierto raised concerns about potential misallocation of funds and legal procedures, referencing correspondence with the Attorney General's office.
  • Woody Brickley (CD6 resident) thanked the committee for their work and noted future park and recreation matters.
  • Hugh Mohammed (community advocate, My Brother's Keeper) expressed concern about increased police activity and racial profiling, particularly around a mosque and stops of young Black men, and called for investigation into gang unit behavior.
  • Alonzo Harvey (on behalf of himself and Aaron Harvey, from Paving Great Futures) described incidents of police stops of college students and workers, argued for greater funding for grassroots community organizations rather than larger agencies, and noted that 82 homeless kids at Bell Middle School have been adopted by his group.
  • Armand King (community member) echoed concerns about police stops and funding for grassroots groups, and offered his expertise on gang evolution.
  • Melanie Nickel (recreation council advocate) requested an extension of the current recreation council system to allow more public deliberation, suggesting a six-month or year-long extension.
  • Francine Maxwell (Fourth District resident) criticized the ShotSpotter extension, arguing it militarized the Fourth District, and emphasized ongoing community policing relationships. She also warned against outside preachers benefiting from the community without living there.

• Comments on Gang Commission Annual Report:

  • Hugh Mohammed (community advocate) expressed frustration over lack of funding for community-based organizations and raised concerns about policing and gang documentation. He also criticized the strategic report for not addressing sentencing enhancements.
  • Billy Moore (President/CEO, ABC Youth Foundation) praised the commission and prevention work, urging focus on prevention to save lives and money.
  • Armand King (community member) noted that most people in the room are disconnected from street realities, and offered to educate the commission on gang evolution, noting his personal history of loss.
  • Sean Shepard (representing Game Changers) reported 300+ hours spent with law enforcement and community, and aimed to expand events to 15-20 per month.

• Comments on Cal Gangs Record Review:

  • Hugh Mohammed expressed support for the audit but raised concerns about the 10% sample, which may not reach records from 2005-2014, and also noted the need for comprehensive notification and appeals.
  • Alonzo Harvey raised concerns about the criteria used for documentation (e.g., same criterion repeatedly, 'where you from' questions), arguing some criteria violate constitutional rights.
  • Armand King argued gang documentation should be abolished in San Diego, emphasizing that gang membership is not a crime and that gang evolution makes current criteria outdated.

• Comments on Community Review Board (CRB) Report:

  • Kate Yavendetti (Women Occupy San Diego, National Lawyers Guild) expressed concern that the draft ordinance for Measure G undermines it, arguing the mayor retains too much power to block appointments.
  • Francine Maxwell (Fourth District resident) criticized the CRB's high agreement rate with Internal Affairs (90-100%), lack of Fourth District representation, and potential quorum issues due to an aging board.
  • Evie Cassauer (community member) noted 19 qualified applicants are waiting for approval, and that the CRB lacks geographical and ethnic diversity (District 4 has no representative, District 2 has four).

Discussion Items

• Annual Report from the Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention:

  • Reverend Ricky Laster (Executive Director) and Dr. Rodney Hood (Chairman) presented the annual report, focusing on prevention and intervention programs. Key statistics: 217 participants with 35 employers in job training events; Success Agents program launched at Porter Elementary with 17 kids; park and rec Friday Night Teens program grew from 5,419 (2015) to 6,170 (2016) to 7,693 (2017); Community Youth Court has served 40 youths; life skills training completed by 13 youths; ABC Boxing served over 1,000 youth in 2017.
  • Commissioner Andre Brooks (new commissioner) emphasized the importance of community-based organizations, recreational centers, and early job readiness.
  • Committee members expressed support for prevention focus, highlighted cost-effectiveness, and urged continued work on metrics.

• Cal Gangs Records Review and Findings:

  • Genevieve Jones Wright (chair of the gang documentation ad hoc committee) explained the committee's origin and that a 20% review of the local database was conducted. She noted that the full committee report, with recommendations, is pending and will address criteria issues and the need for district attorney, probation, and sheriff involvement.
  • Lieutenant White (SDPD) presented the review: 760 records (20% of ~3,800) were inspected from the shared Cal Gang database. Findings: youngest was 16, average age 29.9, average of 14.6 criteria used (SDPD requires 3 vs state's 2), 36% claimed gang membership. 58 additional records were purged (42 due to 5-year limit, 12 discretionary, 4 deceased). SDPD now requires sergeant and lieutenant approval, does not use jail classification as standalone criteria, and has implemented AB 2298 notifications.
  • Chief Zimmerman noted that the remaining 80% will be reviewed, emphasizing commitment to best practices.

• FY17 Annual Update from the Community Review Board on Police Practices:

  • Charmaine Mosley (CRB member) and Brandon Hilpert (Second Vice Chair) presented the annual report. CRB reviewed 54 cases in FY17, down from 79 in FY16, attributed to body-worn camera footage review time. Board sustained 21 allegations, 85 exonerated, 6 not sustained, 44 unfounded (some with comments). CRB agreed with IA in many cases but emphasized that pre-board discussions often align findings. 14 officer-involved shootings were reviewed (not from FY17), and 3 in-custody deaths. Complaints demographics: 55 complaints, with 'Caucasian' most common; officer demographics: ~75% Caucasian.

Key Outcomes

• The committee received the annual report from the Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention and discussed funding priorities for the upcoming budget cycle, encouraging community members to contact council members.
• The committee received the Cal Gangs record review from SDPD and the ad hoc committee, with the understanding that the full committee report with recommendations will be forthcoming.
• The committee received the CRB annual update and discussed ongoing reforms, including vacancies and the need to speed up the appointment process.
• The next special meeting of the Public Safety Committee was announced for November 16 at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall to discuss the police chief recruitment process.

Note: The meeting date is November 1, 2017, as per the chair's introduction, though the provided date was November 2, 2017; the transcript is clear on the former.