After many years of waiting, Vallejo is
taking a historic step forward. In December, the Vallejo City Council
voted 6-1 to approve a Police Accountability and Oversight Ordinance.
Common Ground celebrates this win for the
Vallejo community!
Common Ground has worked for over two
years to gain community and city support for independent, civilian
oversight that will help make the Vallejo Police Department more
transparent, accountable, and responsive to the community it serves.
Common Ground was founded in 2013, and from its earliest meetings,
concerns about public safety and relationships with law enforcement
were shared through the stories and personal experiences of families
in churches, unions, and non-profits across Vallejo. In January 2020,
Common Ground formed a Public Safety Team, focused at first on
establishing a mobile mental health crisis unit. In June 2020, the
team expanded its focus to address the entrenched distrust between
police and the Vallejo community. The team researched police
oversight models in a number of cities nationwide, spoke to subject
matter experts and engaged in multiple conversations with City of
Vallejo council members, Police Chief Shawny Williams, representatives
from the offices of the City Attorney and City Manager, and with
groups and individuals who are interested in improving public safety
in Vallejo.
Common Ground’s Public Safety team is
made up of individuals representing the faith community, labor, law,
and education. The number
of hours the public safety committee spent conducting research,
organizing and attending meetings and drafting the ordinance is
difficult to calculate.
The result is a strong ordinance that takes into account
community input, diverse models, expert opinions and legal
requirements or limitations at the national, state and local
levels.
With the passage of this
ordinance:
- No longer will the police investigate
themselves. Serious police incidents will be automatically
investigated by an independent investigator, who will
have subpoena power.
- For the first time, there will be a
Vallejo Police Commission, made up of residents
across the city, with the power to review all complaints and
investigative reports, and make recommendations on discipline of
officers. The Chief must receive and consider the Commission’s
recommendations on discipline before imposing any discipline as a
result of a serious incident.
- This Police Commission will be able
to receive complaints directly from members of the community,
including anonymous complaints, and recommend independent
investigations.
- In addition, the Commission will be
able to review all new police department policies and revisions to
existing policy before they take effect, and can recommend new
policies and training for officers.
- Commissioners will receive
substantial training and preparation for this role prior to taking
action.
- There will be a third level of
accountability: an Independent Police Auditor, whose
job will be to be present at the scene of all serious incidents, to be
present at interviews of witnesses during investigations, to review
all investigative reports and provide recommendations to the
Commission and the Police Chief. The selection of this person will
include multiple stakeholders, appointed by the City Manager in
consultation with the Police Commission, and approved by the city
council.
- This will all be happening in public,
with public documents, public meetings, and public trainings available
to the community.
The new Vallejo Police Oversight and
Accountability ordinance will put in place three elements of police oversight:
Independent Investigations, a police commission, and an Independent
Auditor (IPA). None of these previously existed in Vallejo; it was
the police chief, the VPOA, the city attorney, and the city manager
who had authority (with limited council influence) over the Vallejo
Police Department.
The new community oversight will result
in greater trust, transparency, and accountability.
Congratulations, members, friends, and allies of Common
Ground!
Read more about the ordinance and Common Ground's work
on it here:
https://www.vallejosun.com/common-ground-optimistic-about-vallejo-police-oversight-model/
https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2022/12/19/vallejo-police-oversight-model-expected-to-be-adopted-tuesday-night/
https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2022/12/09/common-ground-pleased-with-police-oversight-draft-ordinance-but-lists-number-of-omissions/
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Common Ground is a broad-based,
non-partisan organization of diverse religious, labor, and non-profit
organizations in Solano and Napa Counties working to build strong
relationships within and across our communities; equip our members
with leadership and organizing skills; and act powerfully together on
concrete issues facing our communities.
Common Ground is an affiliate of
the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), the nation’s oldest and largest
leadership development and broad-based organizing
network.
http://www.commongroundiaf.org/