CouncilWatch

New panel will review SJPD use of deadly force

High number of officer-involved shootings focus of investigation

By Jessica Lyons

In light of several recent incidents, the city of San Jose has formed a new panel to review police officer-involved shootings. The independent group will begin meeting on Aug. 13.

The panel, proposed by San Jose Police Chief Bill Lansdowne, was approved by the City Council in April. An amendment to the municipal code, however, was required to allow the city's independent police auditor, Teresa Guerrero-Daley, to participate in the review. With more than a dozen protesters outside, marching, chanting and carrying signs reading "Stop Police Brutality Now," the City Council approved this amendment on Aug. 3.

"Currently, when a citizen submits a complaint, the Police Department is in an advisory category," said Aminah Jahi, president of the San Jose chapter of the NAACP, addressing the councilmembers. "There's no outside mechanism to address citizen complaints. What we're asking for is a better oversight system than the one we have right now. It's not enough. We're asking for better accountability."

This year already there have been seven police shootings, with six of them fatal--the highest in 10 years.

The panel will include the independent police auditor, a representative from the city attorney's office, the police chief, the deputy chief for the bureau of field operations and the training unit commander. The panel will look at each of this year's seven officer-involved shootings to determine if the police should implement any departmental changes to make such shootings less likely to occur.

"For the very first time it allows the independent police auditor to review every officer-involved shooting," Lansdowne says. "It gives us an opportunity to have an outside look at officer-involved shootings, and allows us to make policy or training changes to make sure we have exhausted every option before using deadly force."

Some critics, however, say the independent police auditor isn't enough. They want a citizen review board to monitor the police. Only then, they say, will police brutality stop.

"Police brutality happens far too often in our society--even one instance is too many," said Daryl Williams, executive director of Citizens Tribunal, speaking in support of a citizen review board.

 

Around the Glen

Words may be weapons, but their points are often dulled

Sports Briefs

Los Gatos Dammit Run

Junior Olympic water polo

American Legion baseball tournament