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Oakland City Attorney Advises Gutting Police Commission
City Attorney Gives Commission Away to OPOA
On July 21, the Coalition for Police Accountability learned that City Attorney Barbara Parker advised the Oakland City Council to gut the proposed charter amendment for an independent police commission. Parker’s advice was prompted by pressure from the Oakland Police Officers Association (OPOA) who have historically, obstructed any oversight of the police department.
The Coalition, anticipating this eventuality, has already filed a legal brief with the Mayor, City Attorney, and the City Council explaining that the provisions of the charter amendment are not subject to OPOA Meet and Confer obligations because they are not within the scope of employment. It is not surprising that OPOA would do everything in their power to protect their interests, what is surprising is that the City Attorney would provide faulty advice. The council is not obligated to heed the advice of its attorney, and we challenge them, as policy makers, to listen to community and place a strong independent police commission on the November ballot.
Reform of OPD is one of the hottest topics in the city today. We are asking all concerned community members to turn out on Tuesday, July 26th at 5:30 p.m. to the Special City Council Meeting where this item will be decided.
The Coalition, anticipating this eventuality, has already filed a legal brief with the Mayor, City Attorney, and the City Council explaining that the provisions of the charter amendment are not subject to OPOA Meet and Confer obligations because they are not within the scope of employment. It is not surprising that OPOA would do everything in their power to protect their interests, what is surprising is that the City Attorney would provide faulty advice. The council is not obligated to heed the advice of its attorney, and we challenge them, as policy makers, to listen to community and place a strong independent police commission on the November ballot.
Reform of OPD is one of the hottest topics in the city today. We are asking all concerned community members to turn out on Tuesday, July 26th at 5:30 p.m. to the Special City Council Meeting where this item will be decided.
For more information:
http://www.coalitionforpoliceaccountabilit...
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Oakland Council Should Let the Cops be the Bad Guys
The police union is threatening to sue over a proposed ballot measure, and the council might gut the initiative as a result.
By Robert Gammon
The Oakland City Council and Mayor Libby Schaaf are meeting behind closed doors Friday afternoon to decide whether to gut a proposed ballot measure that seeks to establish civilian oversight of the city’s police force. The council and mayor are meeting in secret because of threats by the Oakland police union to sue the city in order to block the ballot measure from going before voters in November. The union—the Oakland Police Officer’s Association, or OPOA—is angry because the ballot measure would allow a new civilian police commission to fire or discipline cops who engage in misconduct.
But it would be a grave mistake for the council and mayor to cave in to the OPOA’s threats. The council instead should let the union sue. Because if the OPOA does so, then it will become crystal clear to all of Oakland that the only real impediment to reforming the city’s long-troubled police department is the police officers themselves. Indeed, if cops are successful in depriving Oaklanders of their democratic right to vote, then the resulting anger and frustration in Oakland will finally be directed to where it has always belonged. In short, the council should let the cops be the bad guys.
...
At issue currently is a provision of the ballot measure that the OPOA contends violates its contract with the city. Under Article 12 of the union’s contract, the council must offer to “meet and confer” with the OPOA if it proposes to alter working conditions covered in the contract, including discipline. The council has made that offer in relation to the proposed ballot measure, but the OPOA is refusing to meet with the council. The union is pointing to a so-called “zipper clause” in Article 12 that states that it can decline to meet and confer until the contract expires on June 30, 2019. The union contends that under this provision, if it decides it doesn’t want to meet, then the council is prohibited from going forward with the ballot measure as is.
...
read more:
The police union is threatening to sue over a proposed ballot measure, and the council might gut the initiative as a result.
By Robert Gammon
The Oakland City Council and Mayor Libby Schaaf are meeting behind closed doors Friday afternoon to decide whether to gut a proposed ballot measure that seeks to establish civilian oversight of the city’s police force. The council and mayor are meeting in secret because of threats by the Oakland police union to sue the city in order to block the ballot measure from going before voters in November. The union—the Oakland Police Officer’s Association, or OPOA—is angry because the ballot measure would allow a new civilian police commission to fire or discipline cops who engage in misconduct.
But it would be a grave mistake for the council and mayor to cave in to the OPOA’s threats. The council instead should let the union sue. Because if the OPOA does so, then it will become crystal clear to all of Oakland that the only real impediment to reforming the city’s long-troubled police department is the police officers themselves. Indeed, if cops are successful in depriving Oaklanders of their democratic right to vote, then the resulting anger and frustration in Oakland will finally be directed to where it has always belonged. In short, the council should let the cops be the bad guys.
...
At issue currently is a provision of the ballot measure that the OPOA contends violates its contract with the city. Under Article 12 of the union’s contract, the council must offer to “meet and confer” with the OPOA if it proposes to alter working conditions covered in the contract, including discipline. The council has made that offer in relation to the proposed ballot measure, but the OPOA is refusing to meet with the council. The union is pointing to a so-called “zipper clause” in Article 12 that states that it can decline to meet and confer until the contract expires on June 30, 2019. The union contends that under this provision, if it decides it doesn’t want to meet, then the council is prohibited from going forward with the ballot measure as is.
...
read more:
For more information:
http://www.oaklandmagazine.com/Our-Backyar...
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