Recently the Fresno County Grand Jury issued a nine-page report strongly
endorsing an Independent Auditor for the city of Fresno. You may download
it from our website (http://www.cccjc.org)

The mayor and chief of police both favor an IPA. The mayor has introduced
it in his annual budget three times and it is included in his current
budget.

The Fresno Bee has endorsed it many times in, in editorials and columns.

Who is holding things up?

The Fresno City Council has voted against it three times and is prepared
to do so again.

Why?

They immediately approved a PR position for the police department as soon
as it was requested. They also approved the purchase of an airplane for
the department although they already have two helicopters, and few city
police departments in California, or in the U.S. for that matter, own an
airplane. So it is not out of concern for the budget that the IPA is
consistently rejected. The police department receives more than 54% of the
entire city budget. The $188,000 budgeted for an IPA would hardly make a
dent.

The creation of an Independent Police Auditor will establish a police
review mechanism that will increase mutual respect and trust by ensuring
fairness and accountability in dealings between the public and the police.
According to the Grand Jury Report an IPA can accomplish a balance of
three key objectives.

Citizen Satisfaction: citizens can be assured that complaints are
thoroughly investigated and that internal affairs investigations are
conducted impartially and fairly.

Prudent Financial Management: the cost of an auditor is minimal
compared with the potential cost associated with settlements in cases
of excessive force and the potential cost of lawsuits filed by
citizens whose complaints are either unanswered or improperly
investigated.

Police Officers' Support: the auditor would be able to provide
independent confirmation of the professionalism of the police
officers where this has been challenged.

Nationally, establishment of an independent auditor is recommended as a
"best practices" procedure for all law enforcement. Most major cities in
California and in the U.S. have some kind of police oversight system.

National surveys indicate that a substantial number of minority citizens
are suspicious and distrustful of the police. Fresno's minority community
shows the same concerns that the national surveys indicate. And who is the
minority community in Fresno? The so-called minority community comprises
62.7% of our population: 11.2% Asian, 8.4% Black, 39.9% Hispanic, 3.2%
other, 37.3% white.

Delegations consisting of constituents from each district have visited the
council members more than once. They consistently tell us that people in
their district don't know about an IPA and aren't interested in having
one.

That's where you come in! A vote on the budget will be taken by the end of
May, but the final vote will probably come in June. Write letters to The
Bee. Call your council members. Several of them are running for higher
office (Dages, Calhoun, Duncan). Let them know that an IPA is important
for Fresno, and if they can't support it we don't need them in office.
It's down to the wire, so do it today.

It's really up to us. We need to deluge them with phone calls, letters,
and show up when the final vote is taken. It's our last best chance until
we vote in new council members. Then we'll have to start all over again.

Ellie
Central California Criminal Justice Committee
http://www.cccjc.org
559-229-9807
ellieb28 [at] sbcglobal.net