Berkeley’s Police Review Commission, or PRC, discussed next steps in its transition to the Police Accountability Board, or PAB, at a meeting Wednesday evening.
There were 37 total PAB applications, some of which were from current PRC members, and applicants are currently undergoing a background check, according to PRC commissioner Ismail Ramsey. Applicants will be voted on by Berkeley City Council at its June 1 meeting, in hopes that the PAB can be established by July 1, deputy city manager David White said.
White and PRC commissioner Kitty Calavita have also been working on budgeting for the office of the Director of Police Accountability and aim to present to the Budget and Finance Committee on May 6.
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35, the police union that represents sworn officers in Montgomery County, Maryland, said that two officers were assaulted in separate incidents the night of April 5, and the organization is drawing a direct link between the incidents and what the union calls “the anti-police narrative” from elected officials at national, state and local levels.
The unsigned statement from the union says officer morale has suffered and that the Montgomery County Police Department is seeing an increase in turnover.
The union’s statement said there are 14 officer candidates in entry level training at the academy, while 75 officers are expected to leave by the end of the year. It’s not clear whether those departures are tied to typical attrition rates or represent a spike in departures.
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Berkeley City Council convened for its regular meeting Tuesday evening to provide updates on the city’s Reimagining Public Safety Task Force and discuss the financing of the Harriet Tubman Terrace apartments.
In regards to updates in the month of March, Nathan Mizell was elected chair of the task force, and boona cheema was elected vice chair. Additionally, the second Thursday of each month was established as the regular meeting date for the task force.
As a part of its approach, the task force’s specialized care unit, or SCU, will be assigned noncriminal police service calls in a pilot program, according to the city’s website.
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