The Sacramento Community Police Review Commission, in collaboration with the Sacramento Police Department, is hosting two community meetings to discuss SPD’s military equipment use policy.
The meetings will be held:
- 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 27, at Hagginwood Community Center (3271 Marysville Blvd.)
- 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, July 29, at Hart Senior Center (915 27th St.)
The public is invited to attend and participate in the community meetings. Free food and childcare will be provided at both events. (To register for childcare for the July 27 meeting, click here. To register for childcare for the July 29 meeting, click here.)
“The purpose of these conversations is to seek input, transparency and greater understanding of the mutual needs of community and police, leading to equitable balance,” said Graciela Castillo-Krings, chair of the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission. “When law enforcement personnel show a responsive presence within a community, it enables better service and encourages greater public cooperation that improves safety for the community and officers.”
The meetings will include opening remarks, a presentation by SPD on military equipment use, a Q&A session, break-out sessions and closing comments.
Both meetings will be moderated by a neutral third-party mediator provided by Sacramento State University.
California Assembly Bill 481 requires law enforcement agencies to obtain approval of the applicable governing body (such as City Council) by adoption of a military equipment use policy prior to taking certain actions related to the funding, acquisition or use of military equipment as defined by the legislature.
Click here to read the SPD’s approved military equipment use policy from 2022.
The Sacramento Community Police Review Commission was established for the purpose of providing recommendations to the Mayor and City Council on bias-free policing and the implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of efforts intended to strengthen community-police relations.
The Sacramento Police Department greatly values community feedback and remains committed to building trust through transparency and collaboration with the community.
The department also has developed this survey as an additional avenue for community input regarding military equipment use and the concerns surrounding it. SPD continues to research and implement innovative ways to keep officers and the community safe.
The Sacramento Community Police Review Commission and the Sacramento Police Department previously held a community meeting regarding SPD’s military equipment use policy on July 6 at the Sam & Bonnie Pannell Community Center.
