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November 1, 2022 Xennedy <br /> • M M I S S 1 • <br /> www.kennedycommission.org <br /> 17701 Cowan Ave.,Suite 200 <br /> Irvine,CA 92614 <br /> 949 250 0909 <br /> Mayor Sarmiento and City Councilmembers <br /> 20 Civic Center Plaza <br /> Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br /> ecommentgsanta-ana.org <br /> RE: Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission Ordinance and Agenda Item 15 <br /> Dear Mayor Sarmiento and City Councilmembers, <br /> The Kennedy Commission (the Commission) is a broad-based coalition of residents and <br /> community organizations that advocates for the production of homes affordable for families <br /> earning less than $27,000 annually in Orange County. Formed in 2001, the Commission has been <br /> successful in partnering and working with Orange County jurisdictions to create effective housing <br /> and land-use policies that has led to the new construction of homes affordable to lower income <br /> working families. <br /> The Kennedy Commission is writing to express our strong support for a robust police oversight <br /> Commission for the City of Santa Ana. We commend the City Council and the City Attorney for <br /> reviewing and incorporating amendments provided by Chispa,ACLU SoCal,and other community <br /> based organizations on Exhibit 1 to strengthen and create a strong effective police oversight <br /> 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 /> • 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 />