The citizen of Bakersfield and the County of Kern is seeking to pass legislation creating the Bakersfield & Kern County Citizen Review Board (BKCRB), a revamped version of the Civilian Review Board. The CKCRB’s primary goal is to review grievances of citizens who have complaints against any member of the Bakersfield Police or the Kern County Sheriffs Department. This impartial body serves to help ensure the highest level of equality under the law for all people by providing a voice to citizens of the Bakersfield and Kern County community at large. BKCRB and What Legislation to be Establishing We the citizens of the City of Bakersfield and the County of Kern by signing this petition are asking that this item be placed on the City of Bakersfield City Council and the Board of Supervisors agenda an a City and County Ordinance be substituted and Amended (2) by full Council amending Chapter 2 Article of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Bakersfield, California, by adding a new Davison 11, to provide for the establishment of a Citizen Board (Board) to consider grievances of citizens who have complaints against any member of the Police and/or Kern County Sheriffs Department (Departments) to provide for hearings before the Board. BKCRB Operations & Procedures An explanation of the BKBRB complaint procedures shall be made to all police and sheriffs officers in a general order to be included in the manual of rules and procedures of a law enforcement init and be included in the training program for new police and sheriff officers. Each member of the BKCRB receives training on the issues of abusive language, false imprisonment, harassment, use of excessive force, serious injury, death which is alleged to be the result of the action of an employee of police Department or sheriffs Department. BKCRB Appointment Structure One (1) member shall be appointed by the Mayor One (1) member shall be appointed by City Council One (1) member shall be appointed by Neighborhood Churches One (1) member shall be appointed by the Vice Mayor of the Council with previous experience as law enforcement professional One (1) member shall be appointed by the citizens of East Bakersfield One (1) member shall be appointed by the citizens of South Bakersfield One (1) member shall be appointed by the Citizens of Southwest Bakersfield One (1) member shall be appointed by the Citizens of North of Bakersfield One (1) member shall be appointed by the Bakersfield City Bar Association One (1) member shall be appointed by the Kern County Bar Association One (1) member shall be appointed by the League of Woman Voter One (1) member shall be appointed by the Local NAACP Branch One (1) member shall be appointed by the Kern County SCLC *Note: The members of the BKCRB may make recommendation to the Mayor and Vice Mayor of Council and Council and Staff members of prospective members to be appointed by the Board. BKCRB Composition of Board A) As law enforcement professional shall include experience as a police officer, criminal investigator, special agent or managerial or supervisory employee who exercised substantial policy discretion on law enforcement matters in a federal, state or local law enforcement agency, other than experience as an attorney in a prosecutorial agency. B) Other selected shall have skills and experience in areas relevant to work of the Board. Areas that should be represented are civil rights work and litigation; community and business leadership; and relevant academic expertise. C) No member of the Board shall hold and other public office or hold employment with a civil service or government with the state of California, county of Kern or the City of Bakersfield. D) The chair of the Board will be elected by the Board from among its members. At the first meeting of the Board it shall, by majority vote of all of its members, adopt rules governing the conduct of its meetings, proceedings and other procedural matters. E) To enable the Board to conduct its work, the Board will be authorized to hire its own Director and appropriate investigative and clerical staff. Additional staff support to the Board shall be provided by the office of the Mayor, The city manager, the City Attorney, The police department and Sheriffs Department upon the request of the Board. BKCRB Powers & Duties A) The Board shall advise the Kern County Board of Supervisors, The Bakersfield Mayor and City Council members, and the Chief of Police and the Sheriff of the County of Kern on policies and actions of the Police and Sheriff Department with the purpose of improving the ability of police and sheriff personnel to carry out their duties and improve the relationship between the police and sheriff department and the community. B) The Board shall have the power to conduct investigations and hold public hearings. C) The Board shall have full discretion to select appropriate individual incidents to review and broader issues to study which may be of concern to the community, the Police and Sheriff; provided, however, that the Board shall, to the best extent possible, minimize duplication of effort between the City staff, Mayor, City Council members, Board of Supervisors and any other existing agencies which have jurisdiction over the same matter. The City staff, Mayor, City Council members, Board of Supervisors and the Chiefs of Police and Sheriffs Department, and other responsible officials shall ensure that all such agencies cooperate to the greatest extent possible in the performance of their respective activities, studies and operations. D) The Board may initiate studies upon request to the Board by any member of the public or community or the Police Department and the Sheriffs Department or at the Board own discretion. The Board may review specific complaints or incidents of misconduct against police officers; including those involving language related to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability. E) In order to accomplish its goals as set forth above, the Board shall have full access to relevant Police Department and Sheriffs Department personnel for interview and to relevant documents. F) All employees of the Bakersfield and Kern County government are hereby directed to fully cooperate with the Board by promptly producing documents, records, files and any other information that the Board may request. In addition employees on request of the Board shall be available to meet with and be available to meet with and be interviewed by, the Board or its representatives and/or to testify before the Board.