Public Safety Committee Recommends Reappointment of 3 Incumbent Citizen Police Oversight Commissioners

The City Council’s Public Safety Committee on Wednesday moved to recommend the reappointment of three incumbent commissioners of the Community Police Oversight Commission for terms beginning on July 1, 2022.

The committee recommended the reappointment of commissioners Alexis Abernethy, who applied on behalf of the Links, Pasadena/Altadena Chapter and Florence Annang, who applied on behalf of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Pasadena Branch, via unanimous vote.

A total of three committee members — namely Mayor Victor Gordo, councilmembers John Kennedy and Tyron Hampton — voted to recommend commissioner Juliana Serrano’s reappointment. Councilmember Steve Madison recused himself from the vote.

Serrano applied on behalf of All Saints Church.

The three incumbent commissioners were appointed to one-year terms that began on July 1, 2021 and expire on June 30.

The City staff opened the application for three community-based seats last May 6 and accepted applications until May 23.

The city received a total of five applications. The two other applicants are Kim Santell and Tina Williams, who applied on behalf of Harambee Ministries.

Williams later withdrew her application and voiced her support for the three incumbent commissioners.

“All three representatives are highly qualified, and I believe they will do an excellent job representing the nonprofit community; therefore I withdraw my application for consideration,” Williams said in her letter to the Public Safety Committee.

“I personally would like to thank Ms. Williams and Kim Santell for applying. I do think that we have to keep in mind that this commission is very very new in the context of our local government,” Mayor Gordo said. “We have three very qualified incumbents I would say.”

Recommendations by the Public Safety Committee are expected to be considered by the full City Council on June 20.

During the meeting, the candidates are expected to give brief statements and answer questions of the councilmembers related to their appointment.

If the recommendation is approved by the City Council, the three commissioners will serve for another three years, until June 30, 2025.