Modesto to move forward on police reform with discussion of oversight panel, auditor
The Modesto City Council is expected to hold a Sept. 29 workshop to talk about establishing a community oversight board and hiring an independent auditor for its Police Department.
They are among the recommendations from Forward Together, the committee the council created in June 2021 in response to national and local calls for police reform.
Council members voted 6-0 at their Tuesday meeting to accept Forward Together’s final report outlining its recommendations in three areas: policies and practices, alternate response models and accountability.
While council members accepted the report and its recommendations, they did not approve implementing them. That vote would come at a future council meeting.
Mayor Sue Zwahlen said the workshop is scheduled for Sept. 29. City Manager Joe Lopez said the workshop is to bring council members up to speed on the recommendations for an oversight board and auditor and for council members to provide city staff with direction on moving forward.
The workshop will be open to the public, and members of the public will have the opportunity to comment and ask questions.
With the council’s direction, staff would come back to the City Council in December with a schedule on implementing the recommendations.
Deputy City Manager Allison Van Guilder told council members it is possible that some pieces of the two recommendations could be in place as soon as March with the council’s approval.
Getting new council members up to speed
Councilwoman Jenny Kenoyer said the council is facing big decisions and she is concerned about new council members being fully informed. The council consists of six members and the mayor. Kenoyer and Councilman Tony Madrigal are terming out of office, and Councilman Bill Zoslocki resigned in April.
Jeremiah Williams and Naramsen Goriel are competing for Kenoyer’s District 5 seat in north Modesto. Nick Bavaro is unopposed to replace Zoslocki in District 4 in east Modesto, and Eric Alvarez is unopposed to replace Madrigal in District 2 in west Modesto.
Lopez said the city is aware of the timing and will ask the council candidates to participate in the workshop. He said city officials believe Modesto cannot wait any longer on the recommendations.
The city is starting with the community oversight board and independent auditor because officials believe once they are in place, they will provide the foundation for the other reforms.
The Police Department already has embarked on some of the alternate response reforms, including using civilian outreach workers instead of officers on some calls involving homeless people and people in crisis.
Forward Together consisted of 27 members from throughout the community, including representatives from the NAACP, the ACLU, the Chamber of Commerce, the Latino Community Roundtable, the Central Valley Pride Center, the Modesto Police Officers Association, the Police Department and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Council members accepted the report and recommendations after listening earlier in the meeting to the family and friends of Paul Chavez Jr., the 30-year-old Modesto man fatally shot July 14 by a Modesto officer. Family and friends expressed their grief, horror and outrage and demanded the officer, Sam Muncy, be fired and prosecuted.
“Nothing that I can say will help family members that have lost loved ones,” Mayor Zwahlen said during the council’s Forward Together discussion. “I can say that this council takes their comments very seriously, and we will also take the work of the Forward Together work group (committee) very seriously to work together with law enforcement to make changes that will help our community.”
This story was originally published August 26, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
