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October 28, 2022 <br /> Mayor Sarmiento and City Councilmembers <br /> 20 Civic Center Plaza <br /> Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br /> ecommentkSanta-ana.org <br /> Via Email <br /> RE: Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission Ordinance and Agenda Item 15 <br /> Dear Mayor Sarmiento and City Councilmembers, <br /> Viet Rainbow of Orange County (VROC) is writing to express our strong support for a robust <br /> police oversight Commission for the City of Santa Ana. We commend the City Council and the <br /> City Attorney for reviewing and incorporating amendments provided by Chispa, ACLU SoCal, <br /> and other community based organizations on Exhibit 1 to strengthen and create a strong effective <br /> police oversight commission. <br /> We commend the council for adopting much of the community's policy framework in to craft this <br /> ordinance. As the Council approaches the first reading of the draft ordinance, we urge the City <br /> Council to support this draft ordinance and introduce the following amendments that will clarify <br /> and refine the scope and powers of the commission. <br /> We urge the City Council to introduce these amendments to establish an effective police <br /> oversight commission. Amending the following sections of the ordinance: <br /> Establishment and Purpose <br /> e Remove the language that provides the commission and independent director"to assist in <br /> reviewing the police complaint process, and provide a forum to review, evaluate and make <br /> recommendations."Instead, add language that includes the purpose of the commission and <br /> independent oversight director to provide investigative authority over police practices, <br /> police misconduct, officer-involved shootings, and other serious use of force. The <br /> Commission must have a clearly defined purpose: to conduct independent, community-led <br /> investigations and deliver recommendations. The purpose of this edit is to ensure the <br /> Commission is not an entity to review IA investigations or to review the PD complaint <br /> process. With this language, the Council will be giving the Commission investigatory <br /> power, as opposed to the more auditor language provided previously. <br /> Qualifications of Commissioners <br /> 1 <br />