Town hall meeting in Berkeley to focus on police reform

District 4 Councilwoman Kate Harrison will speak at a town hall meeting on police reform. Harrison will be part of a speakers panel along with George Lippman, the District 4 member of the Police Review Commission, and Tracy Rosenberg of Media Alliance.

“Police are often depicted as separate from the government but, ultimately, as elected representatives, the (City) Council and its appointees on the Police Review Commission are responsible for setting broad police policies and evaluating police performance,” an announcement from Berkeley Citizens Action, the event sponsor, reads in part.

Among the focuses of the event will be initiatives by Harrison’s office and the commission “to promote transparent, de-escalated, and equitable policing that reflects our community values,” and a discussion of “plans to proactively update Berkeley Police Department policies to ensure transparency in police operations,” according to the announcement.

Subjects to be addressed include:

• Current and planned initiatives for use of force by police.
• Better reporting and assessment of differences in police stops in parts of the community (stops, citations and arrests).
• A proposed Surveillance Ordinance.
• Policy guiding the police in demonstrations.
• Introduction of body cameras.
• Increasing oversight by citizens and the Berkeley Police Review Commission.