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October 1, 2019 <br />Mayor Pulido and City Council Members <br />City of Santa Ana <br />22 Civic Center Plaza <br />Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br />RE: Agenda Item #85A: Discuss and Direct the City Manager to Direct Staff to Consider <br />Establishing a Police Oversight Commission <br />Dear Mayor Pulido and City Council Members: <br />On behalf of Resilience Orange County, I urge you to take action to establish a police <br />oversight commission to ensure civilian oversight of the Santa Ana Police Department, <br />maintain accountability, promote transparency, and promote public safety. The City should <br />be proactive and commit to ensuring the livelihoods of our residents are protected by adopting a <br />city police oversight commission with the following principle with the powers to, among others: <br />1. Independent board membership. <br />a. Board members and staff must be independent and impartial, and be removable only for cause. <br />b. Board members and staff must exclude current and former City, Department, and Association <br />employees and employees of other government entities. <br />c. Board members and staff must include representatives from communities most affected by police <br />practices. <br />2. Broad scope to review complaints and other incidents. <br />a. Members must be able to investigate and make formal judgments on the most serious issues <br />relating to civil rights and civil liberties, including but not limited to death in custody, deadly or <br />excessive use of force, and abuse of authority. <br />b. Members must have authority to review serious incidents, such as use of force whether or not <br />someone has filed a complaint. <br />3. Independent investigatory authority. <br />a. The board must have the ability to subpoena witnesses and documents, including police <br />disciplinary documents, video and audio footage, and other relevant materials. <br />b. The board must be guaranteed complete and prompt access to all Police Department documents, <br />information, or testimony. <br />4. Ensuring accountability. <br />a. Outcomes of board investigations must be public and in writing. <br />b. Findings of fact must be binding on the Police Department. Only when a clear error has been <br />made could the Chief depart from these findings. <br />c. The Board must have a role in officer discipline, such as by making determinations under a <br />pre -negotiated matrix developed by the Council and board. The matrix must also specify the <br />V <br />