Becerra, Alexis
From: Michael Wauschek <
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 12:45 PM
To: City Clerk
Subject: Police oversight committee tonight
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of SantaAna. Use caution when opening attachmentsor links.
Goodmorning my name is Michael wauschek I am a concerned citizen. we must get gestope out of our city this isn' t ok your claims that service& protest us but your actions saying otherwise the time is know. How many murders is needed to get hint it isn' t ok free Palestine Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer
1 Flores, Dora
From: ErlynneBallo <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January
To: eComment
Subject: CityCouncilMeeting1/26/2026 - AgendaItem1
Attention: ThisemailoriginatedfromoutsideofCityofSantaAna. Usecautionwhenopeningattachmentsorlinks.
My nameisErlynneBallo, andI workasastudentsupportprofessionalatSaddlebackCollege. Whilemy communitycollegeisnotin SantaAna, manyof mystudentsarefromyourcity.
In education, wearetaughtthataccountabilityisnotpunishment—it’sapathwayto trust. Whenstudentsknow thereisafair, transparentprocessfor addressingharm, theyaremorelikelyto engage, to stay, andto believein thesystem. Thesameprincipleappliesto publicsafety.
I workwithstudentswhoarenavigatingtrauma, fear, anduncertainty—manyof whomhavehaddirector indirectexperienceswithlawenforcementthatshapehowsafetheyfeelin ourcommunity. Whenoversightis weakor symbolic, thatfeardoesn’t stayabstract. It showsupinclassrooms, inmentalhealth, andinwhether peoplefeelprotectedor targetedbythesystemsmeantto servethem.
A policeoversightcommitteewithoutmeaningfulauthoritycannotfulfill itspurpose. Trueoversightrequires accessto information, theabilityto makebindingrecommendations, andindependencefromtheverysystemsit ismeantto review. Withoutthat, weareaskingthecommunityto trustaprocessthatlacksrealpower—and trustdoesnotgrowinthatenvironment.
I askthatthePoliceOversightCommissionhavetheauthorityto conductinvestigationsof policemisconduct independentlyfromthepolicedepartment. TheCommissionmustto beableto review, evaluate, andmake recommendationsto thePoliceChiefandCityCouncil.
Theauditmodelandthehybridmodellimitsscopeof investigations, andsolimitstheintegrityandlegitimacy of thePoliceOversightCommission.
Educatorsknowthatsystemsimprovewhentheyaretransparent, accountable, andopento correction.
Strengtheningtheauthorityof thepoliceoversightcommitteeisnotanti-police. It ispro-community, pro-trust, andpro-safety.
I urgethiscouncilto expandthepowersof theoversightcommitteesoit canoperatewithintegrityand effectiveness. Ourresidents—andespeciallyouryoungpeople—arewatchingwhatwechooseto prioritize.
Thankyoufor yourtime.
1 Flores, Dora
From: BulmaroVicente <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January26, 20262:20PM
To: eComment
Subject: 1/26SAPublicCommentItem1
Attachments: 1.26SpecialMeetingItem1- ChispaLetter.docx.pdf Attention: ThisemailoriginatedfromoutsideofCityofSantaAna. Usecautionwhenopeningattachmentsorlinks.
Hello,
PleasefindChispa'sletterattachedfor Item1.
In Solidarity,
Boomer
PolicyandPoliticalDirector | Chispa
e: [email protected]: 714.747.4271
1505E 17thStreetSuite117SantaAna, CA92705
Chispais building apolitical homefor youngLatinxsin OrangeCounty! Pleaseconsidermakinga donationto helpusbuild our casita. Chispais aprojectof TidesAdvocacy, a501c4non-profit organization.
1 January 26, 2026
Mayor Amezcua and City Councilmembers
20 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701
ecomment@santa- ana.org
Via Email
RE: Item 1: Preserving the Authority and Integrity of the Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission
Dear Mayor Amezcua and City Councilmembers,
We write to expressour strong support for preserving the powers and processesthat are essentialfor the City of Santa Ana ( City) Police Oversight Commission to maintain meaningful oversight and public trust. Police accountability must remain a priority and a firm commitment to the residents of the City.
The Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission ( Commission) was created in 2022 after years of community advocacy. It was designed to be independent, investigatory, and community- led. It was a long-overdue responseto generationsof police violence, secrecy, and impunity.
Diluting the Commission’s powers would undermine its purposeand erodepublic confidence. For the Commission to function asa meaningful vehicle for accountability, we urge the City to preservethe following core powers:
Retain independent investigative authority, including the ability to investigate serious and deadly uses of force.
Maintain the Commission’s authority to make disciplinary recommendations basedon the findings of those investigations.
Ensure clear and direct pathways for Commission recommendations to reach the City Council, allowing for transparency, accountability, and public oversight.
Preserve the Commission’ s responsibility to review the Memoranda of Understanding for both the Santa Ana Police Officers Association and the Santa Ana Police Management Association, and to provide recommendations as appropriate.
Finally, we urge the City Council to seriously consider increasing the resources allocated to the Commission so it can fulfill its mandateeffectively and provide the level of oversight residentsdeserve.
We call on the City to preservethe integrity and purposeof the Commission. The people of SantaAna deservereal oversight.
Sincerely,
Bulmaro Vicente
Policy and Political Director, Chispa
CC:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
JessieLopez@santa- ana.org
JRyanHernandez@santa- ana.org
bvazquez@santa- ana.org
Flores, Dora
From: BruceSenator <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January
To: eComment
Cc: Carvalho, SoniaR.
Subject: January26, 2026CityCouncilMeeting - PoliceOversightCommissionOrdinance WorkStudySession
Attention: ThisemailoriginatedfromoutsideofCityofSantaAna. Usecautionwhenopeningattachmentsorlinks.
In reviewingthepacketfor thePoliceOversightCommissionOrdinanceWorkStudySession, inconjunction withOrdinanceNo. NS-3029, thefollowingcommentsareoffered.
1. Thereare 'vagaries' in certainverbiagethatshouldbemademorecertain, suchas; o At page1-1; "cleanuplanguage"
o At page1-1; "Modifytheexistingordinanceto thestaffrecommendedauditmodel" o At page1-1; "regardingtheCityManagerformof government," o At page1-2; "... staffcollectivelyrecommendsupdatingtheordinanceandestablishinganaudit model."
2. Thecurrentordinancefailsto addressissueswhichunderliealloperationsof SantaAnaPolice Department, andledto arecentcivilliabilityof $2,500,000 (notcountinglegalcosts.) Insteadof providinga 'packet' whichinitselfis ... convoluted, theCityshouldprovideuswithactualverbiage sowecanread, compare, evaluate, andrespondto (morecredibly).
1. \[ Proposed\] OrdinanceNS-3029, with 'cleanuplanguage' highlighted.
2. \[ Proposed\] Ordinanceincorporatingthestaff-recommendedauditmodel.
3. AuditModelactualverbiagetheCityof SantaAnanowutilizes.
NS-3029 (SAMCChp. 2, Art. IV, Div. 16, Sec. 2-660
NotingfromNS-3029, andspecificallySAMCChapter2, ArticleIV, Div. 16 - PoliceOversightCommission, Sec. 2-660EstablishmentandPurpose, thereappearsto begrammarissues, asfollows; Thepurposeof theCommissionisto actthroughtheIndependentOversightDirectorto providethe Chiefof Police, CityManager, andCityCouncilindependentinvestigationsof, analysis, and recommendationsonpolicepractices, policemisconduct, officer-involvedshootings, andotherserious usesof force."
It appearstheverbiageshouldbemorelikethefollowing;
Thepurposeof theCommissionisto actthroughtheIndependentOversightDirectorto providethe Chiefof Police, CityManager, andCityCouncilwithindependentinvestigationsandanalysis, alongwith recommendationsonpolicepractices, policemisconduct, officer-involvedshootings, andotherserious usesof force."
1 WhatisMissingFromtheOrdinance?
Whatismissingrelatesto SAPD ... administrativepractices. SantaAnarecentlylostacivilsuitresultingin damagesassessedat $2,500,000, notcountinglegalfees, costs, etc.
Butanystudyof thislitigationrevealsDECADESOFABUSIVECONDUCTandMISMANAGEMENTAT THEHIGHESTLEVELSOFSAPD.
WhyisSAMCChapter2, Art. IV, Div. 16 - PoliceOversightCommissionseeminglysolelyfocusedon ... line officers, anddevoidof oversightof administrativemanagement? ShitRollsDownhill"
Thereisanoldadage, "ShitRollsDownhill" translatinggenerallyto ...
Problemsoriginatingat the top of the chainof commandor organizationalhierarchytendto becomethe responsibilitiesof thoselowerdown.
NeithertheCityof SantaAna, noritsPoliceDepartment, will everbeableto getahandleon 'lineofficer' issues if it failsto addressissues ... atthetop.
SantaAnaPoliceDepartment ... On A Roll, A GoodRoll
SantaAnaPoliceDepartment, for alltheproblemsit hasgonethroughoverthepastdecade, is "OnaRoll," and aGoodRoll. Granted, SAPD'swantingto relyonFreedomof InformationAct (FOIA) requestsregardinga droneprogram, areinsufficient. However, factremainsthatcomparedto 18monthsago, SAPDhasgone throughaverybeneficialtransformation.
SAPDDroneProgramandOversight
Weneedaneffectivedroneprogram. However, wealsoneedsuchaprogramwithsolidoversight. Failureof oversightwill leadto failurein practice, civillitigations, anddamagespaidout ... whichwecannot afford. Betterto affordthecostof strongoversight, thanthemuchhighercostof civillitigations ... andcivil liabilitiesif awardedbyacourtor jury.
Thankyou,
BruceSenator
Ward6
2