Police oversight board members resign: PAB has 'been ignored'
Their decision leaves just four members on the nine-member advisory body, which has been plagued by vacancies for much of its tenure.
Two longtime members of Berkeley's police oversight board abruptly resigned Friday, citing policy "rollbacks," trouble accessing records and a "consistent pattern of reversals" of misconduct findings.
Kitty Calavita and Juliet Leftwich — who both sat on Berkeley's Police Review Commission before the Police Accountability Board was created in 2020 — issued a joint statement Friday to make the announcement.
Their decision leaves just four members on the nine-member advisory body, which has been plagued by vacancies for much of its tenure.
In their statement, released just before 2:15 p.m., they wrote that PAB was "even less empowered than its predecessor," despite its stated goal, approved by 85% of Berkeley voters, of expanded police oversight.
Calavita and Leftwich wrote that, in recent years, "reforms that were achieved by the PRC are now being undone" and that the Berkeley City Council had narrowed some of its reform policies, including BPD's approach to searches.
They also said city leaders had "ignored" PAB's recommendations on Flock surveillance cameras and "largely discounted the PAB’s feedback on a wide assortment of other matters."
And they referenced a new effort to "streamline" BPD's use-of-force policy, arguing that the proposed changes would "eviscerate" prior reforms.
Other stated frustrations included ongoing negotiations with police, which began nearly three years ago, to adopt permanent PAB regulations; and the repeated "reversal" — by the police chief and city manager — of misconduct findings made by PAB.
In their statement, they also referenced continuing challenges getting confidential records, including those related to PAB's investigation into a Berkeley police "texting scandal" in 2022.
Once the board finally got those records and made its recommendations, its input was "summarily dismissed by Council," according to the letter.
"Because we believe our continued efforts to fulfill the mission of the PAB will be in vain, we regrettably must resign," they wrote.
At least one other PAB member, Cheryl Owens, resigned in recent years citing similar frustrations, including restricted records access that hampered the board's ability to do its work.
The board's troubles have affected its broader effectiveness, too, resulting in an unfair labor practice claim with the state, and tension with the city attorney's office and other city bodies.
Some of the most visible issues have involved Hansel Aguilar, the board's director, who was criticized by council members in a fall public meeting and subsequently sued the city over records without council permission, according to the city attorney's office.
Read more about Berkeley's Police Accountability Board
Emilie Raguso
Emilie Raguso
