George Lippman

On April 2, Skinner introduced SB 1421, subtitled "Peace Officers: release of records." If passed, the bill will require law enforcement to disclose all information regarding discharge of a firearm, force that results in death and injury, sexual assault on the job and dishonesty in reporting, investigating and prosecuting a crime.

Proposed by Berkeley Community United for Police Oversight the measure would abolish the Police Review Commission and create a new police commission, which would be composed of a group of 10 citizens who would oversee the Berkeley Police Department.

The proposed charter amendment was aimed at improving oversight of the Berkeley Police Department through the creation of a new commission called the Berkeley Police Commission. This new commission would hold the power to initiate its own investigations and would be independent of the city manager’s office.

In a city where Black residents make up less than 10 percent of the population, Black residents are six times more likely to experience police use of force than white residents, according to a Police Review Commission, or PRC, report titled “To Achieve Fairness and Impartiality.”

Berkeley Community United for Police Oversight, or BCUPO, launched its campaign for greater police accountability Sunday at the flea market on Ashby Avenue.

Sahana Matthews comes from a family of chemists. Both of her parents are chemists, her grandparents were chemists, her twin brother is studying chemical engineering at USC, but for Matthews, police accountability is her specialty.

Berkeley Police Review Commission approved the Fair and Impartial Policing Subcommittee’s report to improve oversight of racial disparity in policing at its meeting Wednesday.

Berkeley has the fifth-highest hate crimes rate out of all California cities with populations of more than 50,000, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s 2016 Hate Crime Statistics report.

City Council will discuss two public safety issues: racial disparity within Berkeley Police Department and reforming the Berkeley Police Review Commission.

Councilmember Kate Harrison hosted a town hall meeting Wednesday to discuss Berkeley Police Department’s policies on transparency, use of force and surveillance.