City Government

OP-ED: Why a Public Safety Oversight Commission Saves Dollars and Makes Sense

Published

9 years ago

November 1, 2014

The existing Citizens Police Review Board and Community Policing Advisory Board are under the authority of the City Administrator.

This past June the Coalition for Police Accountability, of which I am a member, proposed a ballot measure to amend the city charter to create a Public Safety Oversight Commission (PSOC) that would be totally independent of the Oakland Police Department (OPD). This initiative was supported by City Council Public Safety Committee Chair Noel Gallo who explained that while he personally didn’t see the need for it, he respected the requests of many of his constituents to put this on the ballot.

This past week our coalition met with Council Member Gallo and his Public Safety subcommittee. He reaffirmed his support for putting a measure on the ballot.

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Len Raphael

There are many good reasons to support our modest ballot proposal or a similar one that could be crafted by bringing together even more participants including OPD and the Oakland Police Officers Association (OPOA).

Currently these two existing boards -the Citizens Police Review Board and Community Policing Advisory Board – duplicate much of the civilian complaint investigations done by sworn officers within OPD’s Internal Affairs Department.

The PSOC would consolidate the staff of these boards so there would not be any additional costs.

Using only civilians for the proposed Oversight Commission to perform the investigations would cost about 50 percent less than sworn officers employed by Internal Affairs. That in turn would free up experienced sworn officers for street duty and could eliminate the need for additional expensive academies.

The commission would serve proactively as a early warning system to identify problem officers before their behavior leads to costly lawsuits.

To me as a volunteer Oakland fiscal watchdog for years,there is sufficient reason to get this on the ballot and approve this City Charter amendment is to start the work to gain the “hearts and minds” of many residents who won’t cooperate with OPD because they don’t trust them to police them fairly, let alone to protect them if they do cooperate.

Oakland can’t afford to hire enough police to occupy all of Oakland. Costly surveillance equipment will not compensate for the lack of cooperation from residents. The police department has to earn the trust of residents.

A Public Safety Oversight Commission would be an important step in achieving that trust by using only civilian investigators and having the power to discipline problem officers.

Let’s not study this to death.

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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

20 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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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

5 days 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

5 days 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.