Berkeley to dismiss police watchdog director
Tension has been brewing for months between the City Council and director of police accountability Hansel Aguilar.
The Berkeley City Council voted Monday in closed session to dismiss Hansel Aguilar, the city's beleaguered director of police accountability.
Council members voted eight in favor, with one person absent, in the closed session meeting, which took place Monday afternoon.
Aguilar did not immediately respond Monday night to a request for comment.
The dismissal will take effect one month after written notice is given to Aguilar's office, Mayor Adena Ishii said in a prepared statement.
On Monday's council agenda, the item was listed only as "public employee discipline/dismissal/release" due to confidentiality laws.
Tension has been brewing for months between the City Council and Aguilar.
He was roundly 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.
"It just feels like … you're in constant opposition with what we're recommending to you," the mayor told him last fall.
Emilie Raguso
The City Council originally hired Aguilar in October 2022, with an annual base salary of $200,000, following a nationwide search resulting in "11 competitive candidates," according to city records.
He was ultimately selected for the job from among five finalists for the position.
In 2024, his total compensation was $291,209.27, according to Transparent California.
Aguilar's contract identifies him as "an at-will employee," noting: "He shall serve at the pleasure of the City Council, which may remove Mr. Aguilar from office with or without cause."
According to his contract, Aguilar is entitled to severance pay in a "lump-sum cash payment" equal to two months' salary for every month of service not to exceed 12 months of salary in total.
In her prepared statement, Mayor Adena Ishii said the Berkeley City Council remains "firmly committed to police accountability," pledging to hire "a replacement that has the expertise and commitment to accountability work."
"The Office of the Director of Police Accountability (ODPA) plays a critical role, and we remain focused on fully supporting the office and the Police Accountability Board (PAB) so that both entities can carry out their responsibilities effectively," her office said.
The next Police Accountability Board meeting comes Wednesday night.
Editor's Note: Due to a typo, the original version of this report said one person had abstained from the vote. In fact, one person was absent from the meeting but no one abstained. The article was quickly fixed. Details about Aguilar's contract and salary were added after publication. TBS will continue to follow the story.
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Emilie Raguso
Emilie Raguso
