Pasadena's Police Oversight Commission Set To Be filled

PASADENA, CA — Officials are expected to completely fill the city's first community police oversight commission Monday with the appointment of eight people to the 11-seat panel.

The eight prospective members were nominated by the City Council and include a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy, an educational adviser at Pasadena City College and a domestic violence counselor, according to city documents. The first three members of the commission — Alexis Abernethy, Florence Annang and Juliana Serrano — were appointed in April after being nominated by local community groups.

The eight nominees for the commission are:

• Espirit Loren Jones — a domestic violence advocate and counselor nominated by Councilman Tyron Hampton.
• Noemi Emeric-Ford — a brownfields coordinator for the coordinator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nominated by Councilwoman Felicia Williams.
• Donald Matthews — A retired lieutenant from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department nominated by Councilman John J. Kennedy.
• Barbara Stacy — a human resources coordinator nominated by Councilman Gene Masuda.
• Raul Ibanez — an educational adviser at Pasadena City College nominated by Councilwoman Jess Rivas.
• Patricia Kinaga — a former Los Angeles deputy city attorney nominated by Councilman Steven Madison.
• Lawrence Lurvery — a physician at Kaiser Permanente nominated by Councilman Andy Wilson.
• Phillip Argento — a former L.A. County Superior Court judge nominated by Mayor Victor Gordo.

The City Council will meet at 4:30 p.m. and the meeting can be streamed online by visiting the city's website.

The commission was established in the aftermath of officers with the Pasadena Police Department fatally shooting 32-year-old Anthony McClain during a traffic stop last summer. His death prompted protests against the city and a lawsuit was filed against the officers involved claiming they acted illegally when McClain was shot in the back as he fled from police, according to the Pasadena Star-News.

The purpose of the commission is to “enhance, develop, and strengthen community-police relations, and review and make recommendations regarding the ongoing operations of the police department” to city officials, according to a statement.

The commission will be able to publish police use of force statistics and personnel complaints as well as have the power to issue subpoenas for police records, according to the municipal code. What the commission can't do is take direct or indirect role in police personnel matters or direct the department to take any action against an employee.