Mayors
of Sonoma County and Community:
In a period from April 1, 1995, through September 27, 1997, law enforcement
officers within the county shot and killed eight citizens; all were found by the
Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office to be justifiable homicide. Citizens
felt that meetings with elected officials and public officials and law
enforcement executives to discuss their concerns and pleas for reform only
increased frustration. They alleged that officials were unresponsive and offered
denials that problems existed. We have all recently read the positions and
comments by both Santa Rosa Police Chief Ed Flint and Sonoma County Sheriff Bill
Cogbill. In addition, since 1999 law enforcement officers within the county have
shot and killed approximately 10 citizens, and again, all were found by the
Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office to be justifiable homicide. In 1996,
the NAACP of Santa Rosa Sonoma County – then President Rev. Ann Gray Byrd --
along with many other organizations, groups and long standing citizens –
requested that the United States Commission On Civil Rights convene a
fact-finding Advisory Committee in Sonoma County to review the concerns of the
citizens regarding law enforcement practices and allegations of excessive use of
deadly force.
In response to those findings, the 1999 Advisory Committee wrote in its 70-plus
page report to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights –
Community Concerns About Law Enforcement in Sonoma County:
“Effective police-community relations requires ongoing communications and the willingness for all parties to listen, agree or disagree civilly, and compromise. The Advisory committee offered the following recommendations in an effort to foster the dialog among community representatives, elected officials, and law enforcement in Sonoma County and to assist in the elimination of the community polarization found during its study.”
Recommendations from 1999
Recruit and hire community-conscious personnel.
Adequately train all officers in cultural sensitivity, racial profiling, mental health, and excessive force policies.
Proactively maintain diverse and effective police departments.
Create efficient oversight mechanisms.
Eliminate barriers to citizens’ filing complaints against police.
Ensure a fair and thorough investigation of accused police officers.
Collect, compile, and publish relevant statistical data on police abuse.
Following the shooting death of Jeremiah Chass, a 16-year-old, 127-pound young boy, in mental distress, the public awaits the findings of an investigation by the Santa Rosa Police Department to provide some mutual understanding as to why such tragedies continue to occur and how they can be prevented. Again, over a decade later, we urge the City of Santa Rosa and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors hold public hearings to be utilized as the vehicle for establishing a “Civilian Review Board of Law Enforcement.” We support, as was recommended in 1999:
“The various municipalities in Sonoma County begin the dialog to determine if their jurisdiction requires the creation of a civilian review board. The dialog should be inclusive of all citizens and each community can consider the appropriateness and merits of such an entity and the elements that are required to ensure success. While each community needs to decide whether to have a review board and how it should operate, certain characteristics are necessary for its success.”
The
Advisory Committee stated “a countywide board will not suffice nor should the
grand jury, due to its association with the office of the district attorney and
its closed door meetings, be used as the vehicle for civilian review of law
enforcement.”
We support 1999 Recommendation 6.1
The cities of Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa and the County Sheriff require
the immediate creation of civilian review boards.
We support 1999 Recommendation 6.2
The grand jury is not the appropriate body to act as a civilian review
board for the country or for individual jurisdictions.
We support 1999 Recommendation 6.3
That among the characteristics, the civilian review boards created should
have budgetary independence, separate office locations, conduct independent
investigations, have the power to compel police officer testimony, provide an
appeal process, and report directly to elected officials and the community in
open sessions.
We look forward to your affirmative response.
Sincerely, Rev. Curtis L.
Byrd
Treasurer, Membership Chair, Silver Life Member
cc: ACLU of Sonoma County, Black Business and Professional Women’s Club,
California Young Democrats, Edward W. Scott’s Elk’s Lodge (IBPOEW), Sonoma
County Democratic Club, Sonoma County Latino Democratic Club, California State
Conference NAACP President Alice A. Huffman, Santa Rosa Press Democrat,
Community Voice, Argus Courier, San Francisco Chronicle, Sonoma County Central
Committee, KPFA