At its Wednesday meeting, the Police Review Commission discussed its ongoing investigation of the Berkeley Police Department’s conduct, the department’s 2014 crime report, and surveillance camera legislation passed by City Council.
Last month, the council formally asked the commission to investigate controversial police action during the Black Lives Matter protests in December. Alison Bernstein, chair of the commission, said the city staff’s primary role in the investigation will be to assist in gathering information, whereas the commission will review and analyze information in order to make recommendations to City Council.
“It’s important that over the last few years there have been problems with the free flow of information from (the police) to the commission,” Bernstein said. “We have worked hard to address that … by improving how the commission operates and (by) pushing for more accountability from the department.”
On March 19, the commission held a special meeting to discuss requesting unredacted materials related to the December protests from BPD. According to a memo from that meeting, BPD is currently in the process of providing the PRC with briefing documents, video footage of the December protests and mutual aid information.
The memo stated that, due to a computer failure, the audio communications between officers responding to protest activity on Dec. 6, 7 and 8 is unavailable. Bernstein said the next step of the investigation involves going through the information provided by BPD and asking members of the public for video clips and testimony.
At the meeting, the commission also discussed the 2014 crime report, whose findings indicate a 7 percent decrease in part one crimes — which include rape, homicide and robbery — in the past year. Commercial burglary increased by 27.7 percent, and aggravated assaults increased by 8.2 percent last year.
Additionally, city staff has researched the arrest density for alcohol-related violations in 2012 and 2013, mapped these violations with alcohol licenses allowing for consumption off premises and found specific commercial corridors in which surveillance cameras should be mandated under the liquor store ordinance. According to city spokesperson Matthai Chakko, the legislation was approved after its second reading Tuesday and will go into effect within the next 30 days.
The ordinance will require alcohol license holders in the targeted corridors to have high-quality digital video surveillance within six months. Both the equipment and its placement must be approved by BPD.
The commission’s next meeting is scheduled for April 8.
Contact Jamie Nguyen at jnguyen@dailycal.org.