Police oversight is coming to San Leandro
City Council Agenda Notes for Berkeley, San Leandro, Dublin, Fremont, Pleasanton
—POLICING THE POLICE—In the wake of Stephen Taylor’s death at the hands of a San Leandro police officer in May 2020, a long-awaited civilian oversight of the San Leandro Police Department is nearing its final stages. The San Leandro City Council will debate the framework of the police oversight board at a work session on Tuesday night.
—Under the framework prepared for the city council, the Community Police Review Board (CPRB) would consist of seven council-appointed members, in addition, to a non-voting student member. No more than two of the appointed members can have a background in law enforcement.
—The board’s purview would include input on the future hiring of a police chief, the police department’s budget, creating an annual report, and referring public complaints about the department to an independent police auditor. City staff estimates the CPRB will cost $175,000 for the current fiscal year with ongoing costs of $350,000 a year
—Progressives in many East Bay cities have clamored for greater civilian police oversight after years of national and local instances of police shooting and killing unarmed Black people. Although these issues were never persistent in San Leandro in recent years, there has been a perception that San Leandro Police is allowed to resist scrutiny from elected officials and a populace that generally gives deferential treatment to law enforcement
—San Leandro’s proposed civilian police oversight board would not be as powerful as Oakland’s police commission. As proposed, San Leandro police board members would not have the ability to fire a police chief. However, San Leandro’s would be far more significant, for instance, than Hayward’s police advisory board, which is appointed by the police chief, mayor, and city manager.
—Tuesday night’s work session follows a year of planning, public outreach, and meetings with the police union. The council’s next steps include approving the CPRB’s framework in March, followed by beginning the process of appointing members from each of the council’s seven districts as early as April.
ON THE AGENDA
BERKELEY – TUESDAY, 6PM
—HOMELESS REPORT—A work session on Berkeley’s homeless and mental health services comes before the council on Tuesday night. A report by Berkeley’s deputy city manager lays out the good and the not-so-good when it comes to the city’s work in helping the homeless. “Though these services are robust and impactful,” he wrote, “they are insufficient in scale or coordination to meet the need we see regularly on our streets.”
FREMONT – TUESDAY, 7PM
—REDISTRICTING—Some Fremont councilmembers haven’t been in their districts very long. After all, through a lawsuit a few years ago, the city was forced to established district-based elections. They also chose to expand the council from five to seven members. Now, the council will begin discussions tonight for redrawing district lines that had barely any time to dry.
DUBLIN – TUESDAY, 7PM
—SHENKMAN STRIKES AGAIN—Speaking of Fremont’s move to district-based elections that some city officials there characterized as extortion. Kevin Shenkman, the Southern California attorney whose letter threatening Fremont with a lawsuit under the state’s Voting Rights Act, issued the same threat to Dublin last month. And, just like Fremont, and other East Bay cities, their city attorney is urging to take the threat seriously and bow to Shenkman’s wishes. Dublin is yet another local city making the move to district-based elections. The legal cost is simply too great and a city’s chance of winning the lawsuit is iffy at best… The council will also hear proposed amendments to its General Plan to change the land use designation on 73 acres near Fallon Road for an office campus.
PLEASANTON – TUESDAY, 7PM
—IN-LIEU FEES—The Pleasanton City Council is looking at a proposed development on 112 acres near Minnie Drive on Tuesday night. The planned project, called the Flat at Spotorno Ranch, includes 22 units, along with the same number of Accessory Dwelling Units. Low-Income Housing Fee will be paid by the developer.
ELECTION 2022
17TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
—ROUND 2—The Republican who faced Rep. Ro Khanna in the 2020 General Election wants a rematch. Ritesh Tandon declared his intent to run the 17th Congressional District primary this June. Khanna breezed through the June primary and general election two years ago. But Tandon’s rhetoric during that campaign was extremely hostile and fueled by Khanna’s decision to join the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, a move that angered some Hindus in the Southern Alameda County and Silicon Valley. Khanna’s rhetoric asking for comity with Muslims was, for some Hindus, traitorous. The stance cost him the support Romesh Japra, one of the most influential Indo Americans in the region. Japra called Khanna a “radical socialist” during the campaign and heavily promoted Tandon’s candidacy. On social media, Japra often praised President Trump.
10TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT
—JAPRA IN SD10—More than surface level, Japra’s recent advocacy, including his support of Tandon, is informed by Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s anti-Muslim policies. That’s why it’s raising eyebrows that Japra through his Americans 4 Hindus SuperPAC and Hindu American PAC is hosting a fundraiser on Feb. 20 for Fremont Mayor Lily Mei’s campaign in the 10th State Senate District. Mei’s main opponent in the June primary is Hayward Councilmember Aisha Wahab, who is Muslim.
D.C. DISH
—SWAL-SONG—We’ll soon better understand if Rep. Eric Swalwell prolific social media posts and pithy zingers are his own. Swalwell’s longtime communications director Josh Richman is leaving to work for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Politico reports. Prior to working for Swalwell, Richman was a top political reporter for the East Bay Times. His coverage of Swalwell’s rise in politics was reported by Richman with kid gloves.
ROOTED IN OAKLAND
THE INTERSECTION OF SPORTS AND POLITICS
—OAKLAND REVIVAL—John Madden’s memorial at the Oakland Coliseum on Monday night was a loving tribute to the ex-football coach and broadcaster known for his folksy working-class persona. For Oakland Raiders fans, Madden’s populist touch apparently lives on with his wife. It’s no secret that Madden detested the Raiders move from Oakland to Las Vegas. From the Coliseum turf last night, Virginia Madden said “John believed in Oakland. He believed in the Coliseum and most of all he believed in Oakland. The Oakland Raiders.” Staging the memorial at the Coliseum seems like a slight toward the Las Vegas Raiders organization. If so, it would be the second slight from Oakland towards their estranged football team in recent weeks. Recall, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf tweaked the Raiders in a tweet by praising her “beloved 49ers.”
—HOWARD TERMINAL TALKING POINTS—The rhetoric coming from the Oakland Athletics is noticeably cooler in recent weeks as the Oakland City Council prepares to possibly vote on approving the Howard Terminal Environmental Impact Report on Thursday afternoon. Successfully clearing the EIR stage is a pivotal moment for the ballpark project and the A’s are arming their supporters with all the talking points prior to the special council meeting. The team sent an email on Tuesday morning to fans that is choked full of talking points and information useful for public speakers to slather on Oakland councilmembers.