Burbank Police Commission narrows independent-monitor review, adds surveillance-technology oversight

The Burbank Police Commission on March 18 recommended narrowing and clarifying the scope of work for an independent monitor that the city attorney will include in an upcoming RFP, voting to require review of all the department's most serious use‑of‑force incidents and to add explicit language calling for review of surveillance technologies.

The commission unanimously approved a motion to change the monitor’s sampling rule so that every "Type One" use‑of‑force review would be covered by the monitor, while Type Two and Three incidents would be sampled at a rate of one in four. Commissioners said Type One incidents — which include deadly‑force cases and other highest‑severity events — merit consistent outside scrutiny.

Commissioner Narvaez, who moved the change to the A6 sampling language, said the adjustment would ensure the monitor reviews the rare but most consequential incidents. "It makes sense to capture all Type Ones and then sample the rest," Narvaez said during the meeting.

The commission also unanimously added a clause to the scope stating that "the independent monitor shall review the use of surveillance technology by the department including but not limited to public safety cameras, automated…