City Government

PUEBLO Proposes Public Commission to Oversee Police Department

Published

10 years ago

April 10, 2014

Local police accountability activists have begun a campaign to place a measure on the November ballot to create a Public Safety Oversight Commission, which would have the authority to monitor, audit and determine the policies and practices of the Oakland Police Department.

“With federal oversight set to expire within the next year or two, we need some way to continue the oversight and monitoring the court has been doing for 11 years,” said Rashidah Grinage, Executive Director of People United for a Better Life in Oakland (PUEBLO).

“All of these gains are in jeopardy of being lost,” she said.

The ballot measure would transfer the authority over the police department to the commission from the city administrator, who at present has that responsibility under the City Charter.

“History has shown that city administration, because they are responsible for all departments, cannot devote sufficient times and energy to the police department,” Grinage said. “None of them were able to get the job done.”

The need for change is inescapable, she said. During the last 10 years, Oakland has paid out tens of millions of dollars in settlements of police misconduct lawsuit – more than San Francisco and San Jose combined, Grinage said.

According to a report by Oakland Local, the total cost of these lawsuits to the city was least $74 million.

The immediate goal is to create sufficient public support for the measure so the City Council will the put amendment to the City Charter on the ballot, since activists do not feel there is sufficient time to gather signatures for a voter-sponsored initiative.

To develop the measure, Grinage and others have have held conversations with City Council members and consulted experts in civilian oversight. The model they are using is based on the police commission that already exists in San Francisco.

The Oakland measure would create a nine-member panel, appointed by the mayor and council members, and composed of attorneys and a diverse cross section of the community.

Policy issues, such as Ceasefire, gang injunctions and youth curfews, would be discussed at public meetings, with sufficient opportunity for community members to weigh in. The commission would make recommendations to the council’s Public Safety Committee and the City Council.

In addition, the measure would give commission subpoena power, which Grinage says it needs in order to examine how OPD expends public funds. Up to now, she said, commissions and even city staff have been unable to gain access to what should be public records, she said.

Supporters have begun a petition to support placing a Public Safety Oversight Commission on the November ballot. The petition is online at www.ipetitions.com/petition/oakland-needs-a-police-commission

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

6 days ago

April 26, 2024

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.