Police Commission 2.28.19 Meeting Transcript
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CITY OF OAKLAND OAKLAND POLICE COMMISSION Meeting Transcript Thursday, February 28, 2019 6:30 PM City Hall, Council Chambers 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, California 94612 Regina Jackson: Hello. It's 6:30. All commissioners, can you please come up to the dais? Regina Jackson: Excuse me, if I could have your attention. I am really sorry to announce that we're going to be delayed in starting. We just heard from Commissioner Ahmad, and he's about 20 minutes away. Unfortunately, we can't start without him being part of our quorum. My apologies for the delay. I don't know what else to do except to be transparent with you. Regina Jackson: Excuse me, everyone. Speaker 1: I'm going to ask him. Regina Jackson: That's fine. Hello, everyone. I'd just like to make another update. It has been brought to my attention that since we have a recently sworn-in new commissioner, we are able to identify her as moving from the alternate to a sitting commissioner for now in order to establish our quorum. We will be able to get the meeting started. Thank you. Regina Jackson: The time is now 6:38. I'm calling this meeting to order. This is a meeting of the Oakland Police Commission for February 28th at 6:38. Love life. We're going to take a roll call and determination of a quorum. Commissioner Dorado? Commissioner Dorado: Here. Regina Jackson: Commissioner Anderson. Tara Anderson: Here. Regina Jackson: Commissioner Smith. Commissioner Smith: Here. Regina Jackson: Here for myself. Female: Harris. Police Commission 21419 (Completed 03/05/19) Page 1 of 69 Transcript by Rev.com Regina Jackson: Commissioner Harris. Commissioner Harris: Here. Regina Jackson: We have a quorum. Commissioner Prather is not with us today. He's on travel. Commissioner Ahmad, we anticipate his arrival shortly. Regina Jackson: Moving to item three: Welcome, Purpose, and Open Forum. I have the opportunity, the distinct pleasure to welcome Alternate Commissioner Tara Anderson. She was recently approved by the City Council. We are delighted to have you with us. I have a nice, big impact binder to give to you as one of the many study opportunities for you. If you all just give me a moment on Public Speakers, Bruce Schmiechen Female: Schmid. Female: Schmiechen. Regina Jackson: Schmiechen. Excuse me. Bruce Schmiechen: Thank you, and welcome Chairman Jackson. I have another commitment, and I'm going to have to leave after public comment. I see the Pawlik Case is on the agenda, but I won't be able to be here for that. I wanted to just share a couple of observations about that case. This is an extremely important moment for the Commission as to what the outcomes are around this. Bruce Schmiechen: You don't have complete control over everything, but I just want to say that having watched the video, and having thought about it, and read about other situations, which are very similar, if any investigative agencies come to the conclusion that this was all done according to rules and regulations, rules and regulations need to be changed. Whatever else happens that you don't have control over or didn't have control over, you have control over policy. It's really critical that the Commission represents the community, look at this thing in a way that says, “What can we do to make sure that this kind of tragedy never happens again to either the victims or the officers involved?” Bruce Schmiechen: I just plead with you literally because people are going to be here showing up around this case if it goes south in terms of there being no departmental disciplinary or anything. We'll see how that shakes out. You have the opportunity to change the use of force rules, the escalation initiatives, when, and where, and how weapons can be used, and force can be. There are opportunities statewide, coming up, I think, again, possibly to change some of these rules, but I think if that doesn't happen, it needs to be done here, and it needs to be done now. Thank you very much. Regina Jackson: Thank you. I have Oscar Fuentes, Celeste Guap, and Jesse Smith. Thank you. Police Commission 21419 (Completed 03/05/19) Page 2 of 69 Transcript by Rev.com Oscar Fuentes: Hey there. I just wanted to make a comment about the last meeting. I was very shocked at the lack of judgment for many of the Commissioners in their comments about supporting or not supporting candidates for the chair. I've been to a lot of City Council meetings and other kinds of meetings. I've never seen anything like that. I thought I was in grade school. Oscar Fuentes: To promote somebody, you don't have to negate another person. These are the kinds of arguments and discussions that need to be had on a one-to-one basis before you comment. I don't know who you all were trying to convince. It just seemed really inappropriate, especially the person who was chair at that time, Mr. Smith. I thought your comments were extremely inappropriate. You took eight minutes to do them, much longer than anyone else. You abuse your ... Oscar Fuentes: If you're going to shake your head at me, can you actually listen to what I'm saying? I mean, this is a great example. You're really unprofessional up here. I watched the video of you talking over a community member how was bringing to your attention serious, serious issues about your presence at the Pawlik scene, which was ridiculous and amateur-ish. For you to shake your head up there at me, while I'm talking while also feigning not to be listening is an example of what I'm talking about. People are watching you. This is on camera, right? Anyone can look up and find this on a camera. You're embarrassing yourselves. Oscar Fuentes: Also, there is this issue. Look, you all may have your heart in the right place, and it may not matter whether you're appointed by the community, or not, or by the Mayor, but it certainly looks like the Mayor doesn't want this Commission to succeed. The people who are appointed by the Mayor have an extra step to take to win the confidence. If anyone was watching because that confidence is already not there, and they don't think you're going to do anything, if anyone was watching this stuff, and that's the reason why they don't, they would have lost any confidence they would have developed over that period of time. Oscar Fuentes: I suggest to you that you would take a hard look. Especially, also the coalition people who, I think, unfortunately, and maybe not intentionally egg on some of that as like, "Let's get to work, and I'll join in." These are things that need to be sorted out and done so with integrity and transparency. That's just the bare minimum. I'm a nobody from nowhere. I know that. If I get up in front of people, I have to be honest, I have to be professional, and I have to represent myself as somebody who's going to do my job fairly. Some of you aren't doing that so far. Oscar Fuentes: This is a sacred trust that you've been given. The first Police Commission in Oakland, in a city that has so many problems with the police, and some of you don't take it seriously. I'll just say that much. Also, one last thing, to give a former Police Commissioner as much time as they wanted when they came up here to speak, Mr. Thomas Smith, was an abuse of your position, and you didn't even turn on the clock. Police Commission 21419 (Completed 03/05/19) Page 3 of 69 Transcript by Rev.com Regina Jackson: Thank you. Celeste Guap, Jesse Smith, and then Rashidah Grinage. Welcome. Celeste Guap: Hi. Hi. Regina Jackson: Hello. Celeste Guap: I wanted to know about the Joshua Pawlik case. I want to know if it has timed out because it's almost been a year. I'm really concerned that just like in my case that the officers are going to go unpunished for murdering a man who was sleeping. That's the same thing that keeps on happening. These officers keep going unpunished. I'm still walking around Oakland getting smirked at. Nothing's changed then. I don't see anything changing. I think there is an opportunity here to hand on some real consequences. Regina Jackson: Thank you, Ms. Guap. Actually, we're going to be listening to that item. It's item six on the agenda. Hopefully, you can stay. Celeste Guap: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Regina Jackson: Thank you for your courage in coming to the microphone. Celeste Guap: Thank you. Rashida Grinage: Thank you. I just wanted to welcome the new Commissioner Tara Anderson. Now that you're beginning your second year of operation, and you have a new commissioner, and hopefully you'll have a replacement in the alternate as well, it will be easier for you to do the work that is in front of you. Hopefully, successfully will lead to more success and more visible achievement, so that the community can have confidence in this Commission. I want to also echo the words of Ms. Guap. The community is looking to see evidence. That will be very important, but we want to welcome Ms.