Oakland May Form Citizen Police Commission
OAKLAND (KPIX 5) – The Oakland City Council will consider a proposal creating a citizen police commission that would have the power to fire the police chief.
Councilmembers Noel Gallo and Dan Kalb introduced the proposal, which will be considered at Tuesday night's meeting.
If approved, the commission is expected to be a powerful, civilian-run body that would replace the Citizens' Police Review Board.
Along with overseeing rank-and-file officers, the board would have the ability to fire the police chief for cause, if five or more commissioners voted in favor of it.
"There's allegations that top people in the department knew about the misconduct and didn't do anything. And that just reinforces how important it is to have an independent oversight body," Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan told KPIX 5. "And that's what this proposal would create."
The proposal comes at a time when the city's trust in the police department is low, amid allegations that more than a dozen Oakland officers had sex with a prostitute, and the fact that the department lost three police chiefs in nine days.
If the council approves the commission Tuesday night, voters will get the final say in November.
