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Commissioners, public press for formal Police Commission review after mayors stop-and-frisk comments
Summary
Public commenters and multiple commissioners urged the Police Commission to place any stop-and-frisk policy on the commission agenda for formal vetting; the chief said the department will operate under Terry v. Ohio and welcomed discussion but noted the mayors remarks were to provoke public dialogue.
Public comment and commission discussion on July 11 focused heavily on proposed "stop-and-frisk" measures and the need for the Police Commission to treat it as a formal policy issue rather than leave responses to the chief's press statements.
Ace Washington, speaking during general public comment, raised concerns about "frisk stop and frisk" confusion in the community and urged commissioners to accompany the chief in a forthcoming meeting addressing the African-American out-migration and related community impacts. Washington said the community needs clarity from the police and a standing committee to work with "sheriffs and the police department".
Commissioners said the topic should be considered by the commission in open hearings. One commissioner argued that "there is a process in place" and that stop-and-frisk is a serious policy issue that belongs before the commission so the department is not placed in an uncomfortable position answering press inquiries alone. The commissioner also cited prior investment in community-policing and racial-profiling reviews and urged the commission to vet any policy change in public hearings.
The chief framed the mayor's remarks as an effort to start a broader discussion, telling the commission that stop-and-frisk is "a program out of New York" and reminding the body that "there is case law, Terry versus Ohio, that governs how officers can detain and pass search weapons," and that the department would continue to operate under those guidelines. He said that the mayor "wanted to prompt the discussion" rather than direct policy without consultation.
Commissioners and staff agreed to return two longstanding department general orders (DGO 5.05 on pursuit driving and DGO 5.01 on use of force) for further consideration, and discussed scheduling community meetings (noting a Sunnydale community meeting on July 25) and returning the DGO items to the commission in mid-August for further review. Several commissioners emphasized the need to weigh racial-impact concerns and community input as part of any policy deliberation.
The discussion combined public-comment appeals, the chief's operational framing, and commissioners' calls for a formal, transparent vetting process. No formal policy change was made at this meeting; commissioners agreed to calendar further hearings and community meetings to consider DGO revisions and process-related concerns.
