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MEETING MINUTES OF THE
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
AND MEETING OF THE WHOLE
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2023
The Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee Meeting was held in a hybrid format, in the Council Chambers and from remote locations. The meeting convened at 1:32 p.m.
Present: Councilmembers - Jimenez, Kamei, Batra.
Absent: Councilmembers - Torres, Doan.
Staff:
City Manager’s Office, Lee Wilcox; City Attorney’s Office, Terra Chaffee; Mayor’s Office, Sara Garcia; and City Clerk’s Office, Yasmin Johnson.
B. Review of Work Plan
1. Committee Work Plan for January 2023 to June 2023
Motion: Upon motion by Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei, seconded by Councilmember Arjun Batra and carried unanimously, the Committee work plan for January 2023 to June 2023 was accepted. (3-0-2. Absent: Torres, Doan.)
C. Consent Calendar
1. Bi-Monthly Financial Report for January/February 2023.
Public Comments: (Zoom speaker) Blair Beekman provided public testimony regarding the item.
Motion: Upon motion by Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei, seconded by Councilmember Arjun Batra and carried unanimously, the bi-monthly financial report on actual revenues and expenditures as compared to the 2022-2023 budget for the eight months ending February 2023 was accepted. (3-0-2. Absent: Torres, Doan.)
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D. Reports to Committee
1. Annual Fire Department Emergency Medical Services Report.
SJFD, Fire Chief, Robert Sapien; SJFD, Battalion Chief, Patrick Chung; SJFD, Deputy Fire Chief, Bureau of EMS and Training, Scott Coscarelli; SJFD, Fire Captain, EMS Field Coordinator, Sean Lovens; and Supervising Public Safety Dispatcher, Monica Alacantar Kirk offered the presentation and responded to questions.
Public Comments: (Zoom speaker) Blair Beekman provided public testimony regarding the item.
Action: Upon motion by Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei, seconded by Councilmember Arjun Batra and carried unanimously, the Committee accepted the annual report on Fire Department Emergency Medical Services delivery including Emergency Medical Services Dispatch, Emergency Response, and integration of services with the County Emergency Medical Services system.
(3-0-2. Absent: Torres, Doan.)
2. Police Department Operations and Performance Bi-Monthly Status Report.
SJPD, Lieutenant Paul Hamblin; SJPD, Captain Jason Dwyer; SJPD Captain Steve Donohue; and SJPD, Captain Jaime Jimenez offered the presentation and responded to questions.
Public Comments: (Zoom speakers) Blair Beekman and Kathryn Hedges (PACT) offered public comment regarding the item.
Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei addressed her concerns with the information presented regarding the “Gender-Based Violence Response and Strategy Workplan Update” and the increase of rape cases. She addressed the staffs request to either discontinue reporting or at minimum do semi-annual reporting and stated that gender based violence cases should continue to be monitored and reported semi-annually at minimum to the Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee.
Councilmember Arjun Batra spoke to the great efforts regarding the San José Youth Empowerment Alliance and Opportunity Neighborhoods. He wanted to request publicly that it continue to be monitored to maintain the momentum.
Action: Upon motion by Councilmember Arjun Batra, seconded by Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei and carried unanimously, the Committee accepted the verbal bi- monthly status report on Police Department operations and performance in the areas of city-wide crime statistics, crime trends, emerging issues, and other matters of interest, as
(Item Continued on the Next Page)
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D.2 (Cont’d.)
needed, with a focus on gender-based violence, police redistricting efforts, violent and gang-related crime data by the San José Youth Empowerment Alliance (formally the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force), Opportunity Neighborhoods and emerging Opportunity Neighborhoods and a status update on interagency coordination related to pretrial release. Including direction for staff to continue monitoring gender based violence cases and reporting the Gender-Based Violence Response and Strategy Workplan Update semi-annually at minimum to the Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee. (3-0-2. Absent: Torres, Doan.)
3. Military Equipment Annual Report.
SJPD, Captain Brian Matchett offered the presentation and responded to questions.
Public Comments: (In person speaker) Revi Rowan Fairgrove, (Zoom speakers) Kathryn Hedges (PACT), Jennifer Tu (American Friends Service Committee), John Lindsay- Poland, and Blair Beekman offered public comment regarding the item.
Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei spoke to the adoption of AB481, the Military Equipment Guidelines, and her concerns with the departments use of Long Range Acoustical Devices (LRADs), specifically the LRADs detrimental effects to hearing loss. She requested that the Military Equipment Guidelines be evaluated annually.
Councilmember Arjun Batra requested that use of the Long Range Acoustical Devices (LRADs) be re-evaluated.
City Manager’s Office, Lee Wilcox stated he would contact the California State Attorney General’s Office to discuss including information on the report with the potential uses and instances when the LRAD equipment would be used, so the public is better informed.
Action: Upon motion by Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei, seconded by Councilmember Arjun Batra and carried unanimously, the Committee accepted the annual report on military equipment, cross-referenced the Annual Report on Military Equipment to the May 9, 2023 City Council Meeting, including the consideration to include more information on the agenda items as they move forward. (3-0-2. Absent: Torres, Doan.)
4. Response to the Investigations of Police Misconduct in San José Report by Moeel, Lah, Fakhoury, LLP.
DEFERRED TO 6/15/2023 PER THE RULES (ROGC) COMMITTEE ON 4/12/2023, (Item B.3).
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OPEN FORUM
1. Cole Mitchell (People Acting in Community Together (PACT)/ SJSU Students for Police Accountability) addressed his discontent regarding the lack of police reform, SJPD officer misconduct, oversight needed for police officers, his concerns with military equipment being discussed while the City has the biggest population of youth homelessness, and having Independent Police Auditor (IPA) investigations to ensure accountability.
2. Joseph Namba (PACT)/ SJSU Students for Police Accountability) spoke about the importance of empowering the Independent Police Auditor (IPA) to ensure thorough unbiased investigations; and addressed incidents involving former SJPD Officer Matthew Dominguez.
3. John Duroyan (Students for a Democratic Society) spoke about the importance of increased transparency, empowering the Independent Police Auditor (IPA), eroded public confidence of police officers, the charges filed against former SJPD Officer Matthew Dominguez, and believes future incidents of police violence will be exacerbated by the further usage of military equipment.
4. Tarentz (Students for a Democratic Society) spoke about the 60 unhoused individuals that died in connection to street sweeps that were approved by the budget, the deliberate delay of Item D.4 on the agenda, and urged that police accountability stop being delayed on the agenda.
5. Aiden R. (Students for a Democratic Society/ Students Against Mass Incarceration) stated the policy in which police investigate incidents of police misconduct lacks accountability and it’s harmful effects to the community in the future.
6. Blair Beekman addressed the SJPOA incident, whistleblower protections, the Police Review Program, and the investigative process for police misconduct.
7. Kathryn Hedges (PACT) spoke to her concerns with the delay on the discussion regarding police oversight and reform.
ADJOURNMENT
Councilmember Sergio Jimenez adjourned the Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee Meeting at 4:02 p.m.
Minutes Recorded, Prepared and Respectfully Submitted by, DRAFT
_____________________________
Yasmin Johnson
Deputy City Clerk, City of San José
Approved at Council on:
Attest By:
_____________________________
Toni J. Taber, CMC
City Clerk, City of San José