Voters in San Diego said they wanted stronger oversight to hold law enforcement accountable when they overwhelmingly approved Measure B on the 2020 ballot. The San Diego City Council Monday approved a framework for the Commission on Police Practices. The commission will investigate complaints about police shootings, alleged misconduct and abuse of power, as well as police policy.
The city council's approval to move forward came after months of negotiation between the city and the Police Officers Association.
“We weren’t surprised, but we were very disappointed," said POA President Sgt. Jared Wilson. “What we ask for is a reasonable compromise.”
At issue, language in the ordinance that says law enforcement working in San Diego and their immediate families cannot be on the commission, due to concerns about the potential for a conflict of interest. Wilson said whether there is a conflict of interest should be made on a case-by-case basis.
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
“Don’t go directly and attack our families. The language is seen by our members as an attack on families, especially children because they have no control over it.”
San Diegans for Justice is the organization that helped put Measure B on the ballot in 2020. Co-Chair Andrea St. Julian said, “The city council did not wholesale bar law enforcement or law enforcement family members from being on the commission.”
She said law enforcement and families outside the county can be on the commission, plus she said the commission will have its own investigators who likely will have a law enforcement background.
Local
“If that law enforcement person and family member works in San Diego, they would have obvious conflicts of interest, and the community would never trust that person to be able to make an appropriate determination,” said St. Julian.
Wilson said the POA is in favor of accountability and oversight.
“We just want a fair shake,” he said.
Wilson said this is another example of why officers are tough to keep and recruit in San Diego. “Why work with the city of San Diego when you can go someplace else and not have this issue?”
“I would say everything about the commission is designed to support both the community and law enforcement, recognizing that law enforcement and the community really have the same goals and that primary goal is keeping everybody safe," St. Julian said.
Another sticking point in all this, anyone who has been convicted of a violent crime against an elected official or government employee will not be allowed to be part of the commission. Wilson said the POA is in favor of that.
Violent crime can mean a felony or a misdemeanor. St. Julian said the term “violent crime” needs to be better defined. Critics are concerned it could exclude those who get arrested at protests. Wilson said rarely are people arrested and convicted at even the most violent protests.
