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Oakland Looks To Form Independent Police Commission In Wake Of Department Scandals

KCBS_740 OAKLAND (KCBS) -- Oakland may soon be taking a page from San Francisco with the creation of its own independent police commission that would have access to all police records, investigate alleged misconduct, and be able to discipline and fire officers and the chief.

This isn't winning points with the police union, which says it would violate a contract that was just approved by the city council last fall.

On the other end of the spectrum, activists complain the new body wouldn't have enough power.

Cat Brooks was one of 96 speakers at last week's council meeting.

"There's no way that any rational person can say that we don't need a police commission in this city that has the teeth to hold this rogue, corrupt department accountable for its crimes against the people," Brooks said.

Right now there is a citizen's police review board which is perpetually underfunded and doesn't have the teeth to enforce its own recommendations. If approved by the city council tonight, the idea still has to go to voters in November.

The department has recently lost three police chiefs in nine days amid several scandals.

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