City Committee To Consider New Police Oversight Plan Which Likely Won’t Need Charter Change, or Approval by Voters

The City’s Public Safety Committee is scheduled to hear and vote on details Wednesday of a proposed Community Police Oversight Commission which, unlike previous options, would not require amending the City Charter and approval by Pasadena voters.

The new proposal was authored by Mayor Terry Tornek and Committee Chair John Kennedy.

If approved by the four-man Committee, the plan would be sent to the full Council for passage.

Tornek and Kennedy are proposing a Police Commission coupled with an independent police auditor.

“[This plan] does not alter the fundamental relationship between the City Council, the City Manager, the Chief of Police and Police Department staff in the manner some have suggested,” said the report.

“A more comprehensive formulation would require an amendment to the City Charter,” the report added, “and would have to be fully developed and acted upon by City Council no later than August 7th in order to be considered by voters this November.”

The conversation over police reform has been one of the committee’s most emotional and impactful of recent years, inspired by weeks of local protests set off by the May 25 death of Minnesotan George Floyd while in police custody.

Over its last two meetings,  the committee discussed ways of instituting some type of civilian oversight mechanism but was hampered by a requirement to change the City’s charter to accommodate such a review board.

But, according to the City staff report by Tornek and Kennedy, a newly proposed community oversight model would not require an amendment to the City Charter.

The Community Police Oversight Commission proposed in the recommendation would consist of 13 members appointed by the City Council, and nominated as follows: one by each member of the City Council, including the Mayor; one by the City Manager; one by the Chief of Police; three by community groups with specific qualifications.

The purpose of the Commission would be to review and make recommendations to the Chief of Police, City Manager and City Council regarding the ongoing operations of the Police Department, said the report.

The commission would also receive community feedback and complaints and refer them for further review; monitor and receive reports on hiring and training; monitor and publish statistics on uses of force, complaints and outcomes; provide input on policy recommendations prior to adoption; receive reports from the Independent Police Auditor regarding critical incidents, policies, and other matters; and produce a publicly available annual report.

Each member of the Commission would be required to complete at least 30 hours of training in relevant subject matter.

Furthermore, said the report, the Commission would be charged with reporting back to the City Council with sufficient time prior to the 2022 general election, on any proposed changes to the oversight structure that would necessitate a Charter amendment.

The Public Safety Committee will consider the recommendation in its online Wednesday meeting. The 3 p.m. meeting is to be available to view  here, and at www.pasadenamedia.org.