STAFF REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
DATE: Regular Meeting of November 9, 2021
TO: Members of the City Council
VIA: Dante Hall, City Manager
SUBMITTED BY: William Imboden; Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Chief’s Advisory Board Update
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Receive report, discuss and file the report.
FISCAL IMPACT OF RECOMMENDATION: None
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
In January of 2021 the Police Chief and then City Manager David Biggs began discussing the Chief’s idea for a Police Chief’s Advisory Board (CAB) as part of on-going discussions involving policing, social justice, and oversight.
The topic was brought up as part of the discussion at a community town hall meeting and was met with wide approval to get the community involved directly with the Chief in helping shape the future of the Police Department.
In May of 2021 the Chief selected eight (8) applicants to form the inaugural CAB and began having meetings in June. Initial plans were for meetings to be held monthly but after three meetings the CAB determined more frequent meetings would be helpful, so beginning in September they have been meeting twice monthly.
DISCUSSION:
The idea of the CAB came from the philosophy of small-town policing where community members had direct access to the Police Chief and were sought out for council on everything from policy to problem solving. The Chief had an informal advisory group made up of residents and locals developed over time while working in a smaller jurisdiction prior to coming to Hercules. The group did not hold formal meetings, but frequently met at coffee shops, at the Legion Hall, the local bakery, or wherever the Chief ran into them, sometimes in ones and twos. Discussions ranged from hiring practices, Officer attitudes, helpful history lessons, friendly introductions, compliments and complaints, and anything else that needed to be discussed at the time.
The Chief had been working with the idea of a more formal group before coming to Hercules and brought this up as part of his hiring process before being offered the job. During the turmoil of 2019/2020 leading into 2021, while holding town hall meetings over the summer and fall of 2020 the Chief sought out more formal Chief’s Advisory Board formats from other agencies and began putting together a program.
With the success of the concept at the final town hall meeting in 2021 the Chief solicited applications from residents through several sources with the idea of having the Board in place by the summer of 2021. Ideally the Chief sought seven adult community members and two youth community members however the initial applicant pool did not yield an y youth. This can be partially attributed to the impacts of COVID-19 and attracting one or two youth members is still desirable.
In May 2021 eight members were selected from the applicant pool based on, among other things, a reflection of the diversity of the community, the applicant’s general geographical location in town, and the applicant’s ability to fit the profile of the ideal candidate: open minded, willing to listen and participate in group discussion, respectful of dissenting opinions, desire to make a difference and help facilitate positive change. The first meeting was held in June 2021.
Initially meetings were supposed to be held monthly, but after the third meeting one of the members suggested the group meet more often to help build some rapport and camaraderie. There was a unanimous decision to begin meeting twice monthly beginning in September.
While CAB meetings have a bit of a formal feel, with written agendas and meeting minutes, they are free flowing and discussions are driven by the members, with frequent back and forth between members in more of a round table format.
In addition to discussing the purpose and mission of the CAB, initial meetings were used to get to know one another and establish foundations for the members who had little or no exposure to law enforcement or government. The Chief felt it was important for the CAB members to be exposed to the rules, statutory laws, case laws, and policies the Officers operated under, and understand some of the restraints the Department operates under when it comes to discipline, hiring, and firing. Once the foundations were understood, CAB members could better help find ways to improve service within the imposed boundaries.
Topics included review of United States Supreme Court case law on use of force, search and seizure, and fleeing felons, Peace Officer Bill of Rights, mutual aid and medical aid response protocols, and the City’s hazard mitigation plan with respect to disaster response. Additional Police Department policy sections were discussed as well, including response to mental health calls, pursuit policy and use of force policy (both old and new).
CAB members requested additional discussion topics such as proactive policing definitions, catalytic converter thefts, cite and release policy and practice, 4th Amendment discussions, and statistical data.
The CAB has also requested information regarding incidents that have occurred in town, and at the direction of the City Council, had a conversation about additional Flock cameras and best locations.
In addition, the CAB requested the District Attorney attend a meeting to discuss charging a nd prosecution policy.
More recently the CAB has spent two meetings reviewing and discussing an interaction between the Police and a resident in town where force was used to take the subject into custody. The first meeting in November the CAB will contin ue this discussion and then begin discussing the new Officer Decertification bill recently signed into law by the Governor.
The CAB was envisioned and designed to act as the eyes and ears in the community for the Chief, and to be a two-way conduit between the Chief and the communities and neighborhoods the CAB members represent. As such, the CAB members are empowered and encouraged to make suggestions to the Chief on how changes can be made to positively impact the relationship between the Department and the Community. The suggestions have ranged from simple social media posts (laws regarding drones) to policy and procedure ( Field Training Officer actions, de -escalation, mental health training).
When the CAB was created, it was hard to predict how a formalized process would impact what is supposed to be an informal discussion of topics ranging from serious to mundane. This group has taken on all topics and had several great discussions with all viewpoints heard and respected. There are members with diametrically opposing positions who have respectfully disagreed with each other in the meetings but even while having difficult discussions about sensitive topics, every meeting has ended with cheerful good-byes and each meeting has started with easy banter. The team building exercises we have begun as a means of breaking the ice have been engaging and each member has made them personal and fun. What started as a formalized process is developing into an informal group of advisors and confidants. Exactly what the CAB was always intended to be.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.