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10/28/22 <br /> Mayor Sarmiento and City Councilmembers <br /> 20 Civic Center Plaza <br /> Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br /> e c om m entg s anta-an a.org <br /> Via Email <br /> RE: Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission Ordinance and Agenda Item 15 <br /> Dear Mayor Sarmiento and City Councilmembers, <br /> Chispa and ACLU of Southern California write to express our strong support for a robust police <br /> oversight commission for the City of Santa Ana. We commend the City Council and the City <br /> Attorney for reviewing and incorporating amendments provided by community-based <br /> organizations on the proposed ordinance, Exhibit 1, to establish an effective police oversight <br /> commission. We further commend the Council for adopting much of the community's policy <br /> framework in Exhibit 1. <br /> We urge the City Council to introduce the following amendments that will clarify and refine <br /> the scope and powers of the Commission,in their respective ordinance sections: <br /> Establishment and Purpose <br /> e Remove the language that directs the Commission and Director"to assist in reviewing the <br /> police complaint process, and provide a forum to review, evaluate and make <br /> recommendations." Instead, add language that authorizes the Commission and Director to <br /> provide independent investigations, analyses, and recommendations over police practices, <br /> police misconduct, officer-involved shootings, and other serious uses of force. The <br /> Commission must have a clearly defined purpose: to conduct independent,community-led <br /> investigations and deliver analyses and recommendations. The purpose of this edit is to <br /> ensure the Commission is not an entity to review SAPD IA investigations or to review <br /> the PD complaint process. With this language, the Council will empower the <br /> Commission with investigatory authority, as opposed to the more auditor-review <br /> focused language provided. <br /> Qualifications of Commissioners <br /> e The ordinance must clarify that current peace officers are not eligible for Commission <br /> membership.Nearly all investigations concerning policing are conducted by peace officers <br /> and law enforcement: SAPD IA, OCDA, and POST. The Commission must be composed <br /> entirely of civilians to ensure there is one layer of civilian-led oversight over SAPD. <br /> 1 <br />