Antioch Council to discuss police reforms during special meeting Friday at 5 pm
Plus, a requirement that all outside attorneys by selected by City Attorney for all departments; the 7th meeting held by the city council this month, including Bridging the Gap discussion
By Allen Payton
The Antioch City Council will hold a special meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Friday to discuss Mayor Lamar Thorpe’s proposed police reforms, which include body worn and vehicle cameras, for which the majority of council members have publicly expressed support.
In addition, the council will consider adopting a resolution that requires all outside attorneys hired by city department be selected by City Attorney Thomas Smith.
Questions were sent to both Thorpe and the city’s Public Information Officer, Rolando Bonilla, asking why the meeting is being held at 5:00 p.m., before those who work out of town are home to give their input to the council members. They were also asked why the outside attorney matter, is on the agenda. Have there been that many outside attorneys hired by the various departments? And if so, how many? Is it a cost issue? Or is this targeted at the police department for their outside investigations and is part of the police reform agenda?
Finally, Thorpe was asked if Antioch Police Chief T Brooks will provide a presentation on what his department is doing on each proposed reform before the council hears public comments and discusses them. As of publication time, he had not responded.
Asked if his department chooses their own, outside attorneys for independent investigations and other work Brooks responded, “Yes, we currently are able to choose our own attorneys.”
Following are the police reforms that the council will discuss, receive public comments, and provide direction to staff:
- MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS RESPONSE
- OFFICER TRAINING ENHANCEMENTS / MODULES
- DEMILITARIZATION EFFORTS
- INCREASED ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY, INCLUDING BODY WORN AND IN VEHICLE CAMERAS
- ESTABLISHING INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF ON DUTY POLICE OFFICER COMPLAINTS
- POLICE HIRING AND SCREENING PRACTICES
- NOTIFICATION PROTOCOLS FOR MAJOR INCIDENTS
and
- RESOLUTION IMPLEMENTING A POLICY FOR THE CITY, INCLUDING ALL OF ITS DEPARTMENTS, REGARDING THE SELECTION OF ATTORNEYS PROVIDING CONTRACT SERVICES, AND THE REVIEW, AUTHORIZATION AND EXECUTION OF ALL AGREEMENTS FOR LEGAL SERVICES AND SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED BY ATTORNEYS TO THE CITY
The meeting can be viewed via livestream on the city’s website at https://www.antiochca.gov/live_stream, on Comcast Channel 24, or AT&T U-Verse Channel 99.
To make a public comment:
- Fill out an online speaker card by 3:00 p.m. Friday at: https://www.antiochca.gov/speaker_card.
- Provide oral public comments during the meeting by clicking the following link to register in advance to access the meeting via Zoom Webinar: https://www.antiochca.gov/speakers
