05/06/2025
Mayor's Office
DATE: May 6, 2025
TO: Members of the City Council
FROM:
Eduardo Martinez, Mayor
Subject:
Mayor’s Appointment of Ad Hoc Committee for Review
CPRC Report with Recommendations to the City Council
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Community Police Review Commission took many
months to formulate recommendations to improve
procedures and make them more responsive. Changes
would require ordinances adopted by Council and are
subject to a meet and confer process with bargaining
units. The Mayor believes an Ad Hoc council committee
should be formed to include the Chief of Police, a
representative of CPRC, City Attorney and
Councilmembers Jimenez and Wilson to review and
discuss the recommendations and potential changes
before presentation to the City Council.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPOINT an Ad Hoc Committee comprised of Mayor
Martinez, Councilmember Wilson, Councilmember
Jimenez, City Attorney, the Police Chief and a
representative of the Community Police Review
Commission (CPRC) to review and discuss
recommendations before presentation to the City
Council.
AGENDA
REPORT
05/06/2025
DISCUSSION:
BACKGROUND
Over the months of December 2024 and February, March, and April 2025, the Community Police Review Commission (CPRC) reviewed and discussed thirteen recommended changes to its current operations, eleven of which they believe should be implemented through updates to Chapter 3.54 of the Richmond Municipal Code and seven of which we believe will require a “meet and confer” process with the Richmond Police Officers Association (RPOA).
B. RECOMMENDED CHANGES
It took the Commission many months to formulate the recommendations they have made. It reviewed and discussed thirteen (13) recommended changes to its current operations. eleven (11) of which it believes should be implemented through updates to Chapter 3.54 of the Richmond Municipal Code (“RMC). Seven (7) of the proposed changes require a “meet and confer” process with the RPOA. A meet and confer process is necessary for ultimate adoption. The Mayor believes an Ad Hoc council committee should be formed to include the Chief of Police, representative of CPRC, City Attorney and Councilmembers Jimenez and Wilson to talk through the recommendations and potential changes before presentation to the City Council. Some of the proposals would then also be subject to meet and confer.
C. APPOINT AD HOC COMMITTEE
The recommendations include, among other subjects, hiring a permanent investigative officer, increasing time limits to bring complaints, reporting annually on results, expanding authorization for investigations, publishing records, changing standards of proof, redaction, authorization to issue subpoenas, implementation of training programs, etc. The Municipal Code would need to be updated for many of these changes. Given the complex issues, impacts of the Police Officer Bill of Rights, and need for bargaining over the final proposals, Mayor Martinez feels it would be in the best interest of the Council and the community to form an ad hoc council committee to include the Chief of Police, a representative of CPRC, the City Attorney and Councilmembers Jimenez and Wilson to make a thorough review of the recommendations and potential changes before finalizing the proposals. Subsequently, a comprehensive resolution of the Council ordering staff to meet and confer with the RPOA regarding the updates followed by drafting a comprehensive ordinance of the final updates. At the conclusion of the meet and confer process, the approved measures would be adopted.