Residents accuse Modesto police of aggressive tactics at June protest, demand repeal of mask ordinance and independent review

Dozens of residents told the Community Police Review Board on June 18 that Modesto Police Department officers used aggressive, ICE‑style tactics to detain people at a downtown protest the prior weekend and urged board members to press the city for change.

Speakers described unmarked vehicles, officers in tactical gear and arrests of protesters who they said were peacefully exercising First Amendment rights. "They dragged them into a vehicle and sped off," Priscilla said of what she witnessed, and several speakers said officers confiscated megaphones, pointed guns and failed to identify themselves or explain why people were arrested.

The public comments focused on four recurring demands: repeal Modesto Municipal Code 4‑23.02 (the city provision that restricts cloth masks at public demonstrations), an independent investigation or audit of police conduct during the protest, prompt dismissal and record‑sealing for those arrested, and the public release of body‑worn and other department footage from the event.

Organizers from Central Valley BIPOC Coalition repeated those requests. "We want a full repeal of Modesto Municipal Code 4‑23.02 and any ordinances used to criminalize protests," Giancarlo of Central Valley BIPOC said. Several speakers said arrests were made for wearing face coverings and described a perceived pattern of targeting smaller, predominantly BIPOC gatherings while larger downtown protests drew fewer arrests.

Multiple speakers described injuries and trauma. Emily Lopez told the board she watched a protester taken into custody and later found the protester had a broken finger. Other speakers said three people who were detained were youths or unhoused. Speakers also described fear among elders and parents who attended the march.

Some commenters urged broader reforms to police policy and budgets. Several asked the CPRB to request that the police chief release body‑camera and other footage from the event for public review and to forward complaint forms or an independent complaint process to community members who do not want to file directly with the police department.

Board members and staff answered procedural questions at the end of the public comment period, and the CPRB agreed to place a discussion item about the protest and related concerns on the July agenda. At the meeting the board voted to replace a scheduled presentation by a homeless services group with a discussion focused on the recent protest and the municipal code cited by speakers.

The board also reminded the public that official police complaint forms are available online and said staff would follow up on whether physical copies could be provided at future meetings.

What the board did not decide that night was a formal investigation or the dismissal of any charges; members said personnel or pending complaint investigations limit what they can discuss publicly. Several speakers asked the board to use its forthcoming report to the city council to press for the independent audit and for release of the footage they requested.

Protest organizers and community groups told the board they will continue to pursue the matter at City Hall and with the CPRB. Comments at the meeting repeatedly framed the arrests as part of broader concerns about racial profiling and militarized policing in Modesto and the Central Valley.

The board scheduled a discussion of the incident and the municipal code for its July 16 meeting and signaled it would include board commentary to the city council when it transmits its review of the OIR report and the department's response.