Three New Members Appointed to Community Police Oversight Commission

The Pasadena City Council appointed three new members to its Community Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) Monday, June 23, to fill community-based organization seats for three-year terms beginning July 1.

The appointments were made directly by the City Council after a scheduled Public Safety Committee meeting, where the nominations were initially to be vetted, was canceled due to a lack of quorum and issues related to federal immigration enforcement in Pasadena.

Latoya Patillo and Ted Smith were the top nominees, each receiving six votes from the Councilmembers, while Faisal Rashid secured the third spot with five votes. The final motion to approve the appointment of these top three nominees to the CPOC was approved unanimously. These new commissioners will replace Alexis Abernethy, Florence Annang, and Juliana Serrano, whose terms expire June 30, and are not eligible for reappointment.

The CPOC, established on Oct. 5, 2020, alongside an Independent Police Auditor, aims to enhance community-police relations and provide oversight of the police department’s operations. Its responsibilities include reviewing police operations, receiving community feedback and complaints, and offering input on policy recommendations. However, the commission does not take action on personal matters or direct actions involving individual police employees.

The application period for the positions was initially open from April 9 to May 12, but was extended to June 6, due to a low number of initial applications.

The other applicants interviewed were Alexandra Annala, Andrea Grace McCraw, and Olden Denham. Alexandra Annala received two votes, Andrea Grace McCraw received four votes, and Olden Denham received one vote.

Latoya Patillo, a fifth-generation Pasadenan and founder/director of the Divine Diamond Edge Drill Team and Drum Squad, expressed a desire to “bring transparency and also to help create change of policy” within the Pasadena Police, highlighting the need to rebuild trust and foster mutual respect between law enforcement and civilians. She received 22 letters of support for her application.

Ted Smith, a retired firefighter and military veteran, highlighted his extensive public service background and experience as a foreperson of the Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury, where he learned about “policing the police” and the importance of transparency. He also voiced his commitment to ensuring that seniors in the community have a strong voice. Smith indicated he would step down from the Northwest Commission if appointed to the CPOC.

Faisal Rashid, who possesses a neuroscience background and serves as a reserve police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department, stressed the importance of empathy and a systematic approach to addressing community issues. He aims to foster “transparency and accountability with law enforcement”.

Public speakers voiced concerns about the transparency of the appointment process itself, noting that the repeated cancellations of Public Safety Committee meetings limited public participation.

Brandon Lamar, president of the Pasadena NAACP, told Councilmembers that the CPOC was established out of a critical community need following specific police shootings, such as those of Kendrick McDade, Reginald Thomas, and Anthony McClain, to ensure a community viewpoint on police policy and address issues like racial profiling.