Guest Opinion | Mayor Terry Tornek and Public Safety Chair Councilmember John Kennedy: The Time for Civilian Police Oversight is NOW

We have written a proposal for the creation of a Community Police Oversight Commission combined with an Independent Police Auditor, designed to build greater trust between the Police Department and all segments of our community and to provide a more direct mechanism for community input into policing.

This proposal is being offered in direct response to the public’s reaction to the murder of George Floyd two months ago along with local concerns about ongoing issues here in Pasadena.

While Pasadena’s Police Department has made great strides in the reduction of use of force and adoption of best practices related to anti-bias training, there are those in the community who feel that we need more active civilian oversight to make certain that everyone in Pasadena receives fair treatment.

Our proposal creates a Commission to review operations and policies of the Police Department and an expert Auditor to review all Use of Force investigations. Both would report to the City Manager, the City Council and the public and shine a brighter light on police practices. The beauty of this proposal is that it can be immediately implemented.

There are some who believe that the proposal does not go far enough and that the Commission should have more direct power to hire, fire, discipline and investigate. This more aggressive approach would require a vote of the people for a Charter Amendment. Our view is that a Charter revision would require a much longer discussion after gaining experience with a Commission. As a practical matter, it would be almost impossible to craft and agree upon the specific language needed to put a Charter change on the ballot by the August deadline.

Although there is broad support for this proposal, it could be derailed by a coalition of those who want all-or-nothing and those who want no reform at all. We submit that creating a citizen-based arena for public review will be of great benefit. This will be the start of a process, not the end.

Institutional change requires strong motivation and careful thought. The subject of Civilian Police Oversight has been with us for an extended period, but must now be viewed through the sense of urgency imparted by recent events. We hope that Pasadena has the political will to actually take the necessary steps toward meaningful reform now. We respectfully request your support.