Public commenters raise neighborhood safety concerns and allege problems with background-investigation contracting

Several members of the public used the commission's general-comment period on June 22 to press the commission on neighborhood safety and personnel procedures.

Patricia Boyd (Marina/Calhalla neighbors) told commissioners her neighborhood has seen recent murders, disappearances and suspected prostitution operations and said residents feel excluded from America's Cup planning. "Our neighborhood is escalating and escalating quickly," she said, and requested inclusion in planning and enforcement conversations.

Barry Pearl described testimony to the Civil Service Commission alleging unprofessional behavior by a contracted background investigator (identified in the comment as JD Wesson and Associates and a Mr. Joe Balzarini) and said departmental human-resources staff and the background-investigations sergeant appeared unprepared at that hearing. "They were an embarrassment to this department and to this commission," Pearl said, and he urged the commission to request a report from the department on procedures and authority for outsourcing background investigations.

Eric King said he believed harassment against him involved police and that a note left at his residence after he contacted the FBI suggested outside interference or surveillance; he described the pattern as evidencing "plausible deniability" and said he sought OCC follow-up. Those allegations were raised as public comment; the commission did not record a binding action on the complaint in this meeting.

Commissioners listened and acknowledged the seriousness of neighborhood safety reports and procedural concerns; Director Joyce Hicks and department staff were present for portions of public comment and later provided regular OCC and chief's reports to the commission.