Delano Municipal Code Ch. 2.64 Community Law Enforcement Liaison Board

The community law enforcement liaison board (board) is created and established. The general purpose of the board is to provide for additional community participation in advising on police department policies, procedures and practices, to ensure prompt and fair investigation of citizen complaints brought by individuals against the city police department, and to promote positive community-police relations.

(Ord. 1007 §1(part), 1997).

The board shall consist of nine members. Each city councilperson shall individually appoint one member of the board; there shall be one member appointed by the city manager; one member appointed by the chief of police; one member appointed by the Delano Police Officers Association; and one member appointed by the entire city council by majority vote. After appointment, the appointee shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing power until replaced by such appointing power. All original appointments shall be made within thirty days from the date this chapter was originally adopted.

(Ord. 1007 §1(part), 1997).

All board members are expected to attend all regular and special meetings of the community law enforcement liaison board. The appointing authority shall be notified by the chief of police when a board member misses two unexcused consecutive meetings within a calendar year. The appointing authority shall be notified within five calendar days by the chief of police, or his designee, so that the appointing authority may make another appointment to the board, if desired. Any board member who is removed from the board for failing to comply with this section shall not be eligible for reappointment for the community law enforcement liaison board for a period of one year from the date of removal.

(Ord. No. 2011-1233, § 1(exh. A), 8-15-2011)

The board shall elect one of its members as chairperson, one of its members as vice-chairperson and one of its members as secretary, each of whom shall hold office for one year or until a successor is elected. In case of a vacancy in any of these positions, the board shall elect a successor who shall serve the unexpired balance of the predecessor's term.

(Ord. 1123 §1, 2005: Ord. 1007 §1(part), 1997).

Regular meetings of the board shall be held on the third Thursday of each quarterly month of the calendar year at 5:30 p.m. shall take place in the months of January, April, July, October of each calendar year. Special meetings may be called, upon the approval of the board, when such circumstances would cause for a special meeting to occur. All meetings shall be open to the public and be subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act. The police chief or his designee shall attend all regular and special meetings of the board and shall advise the board on any matter before it, but shall not vote on any such matter.

(Ord. 1123 §2, 2005: Ord. 1007 §1(part), 1997).

(Ord. No. 2011-1233, § 1(exh. A), 8-15-2011; Ord. No. 2021-3227, § 2, 4-5-2021; Ord. No. 2022-1337, § 2, 9-19-2022; Ord. No. 2025-1357, § 2, 3-3-2025)

Members of the board shall serve without compensation, provided that the city council may authorize the reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred by the members in the performance of their duties.

(Ord. 1007 §1(part), 1997).

A copy of the minutes of each meeting shall be delivered to the city clerk for filing as part of the official records of the city, and copies of the minutes shall be distributed to members of the city council. Such clerical assistance and secretarial assistance as are needed by the board shall be provided by the office of the chief of police.

(Ord. 1007 §1(part), 1997).

(Ord. No. 2011-1233, § 1(exh. A), 8-15-2011)

The board shall have the following duties and powers:

A. To act as a liaison between the community, the police department and the city council, and develop programs and strategies to promote positive police-community relations;

B. A commission member may be designated by the chief of police to be a member of the oral board(s) for all police officers, reserves and chief of police;

C. To review and make recommendations concerning policies, practices and procedures of the police department;

D. To provide for the receipt of signed, written citizen complaints and the proper transmittal of such complaints to the chief of police for investigation; to receive reports from the chief of police regarding the number, type and disposition (sustained, not sustained, exonerated, unfounded) of written citizen complaints the chief of police has received and investigated.

(Ord. 1007 §1(part), 1997).

In carrying out its objectives, the board shall receive prompt and full cooperation and assistance from all departments and offices of the city.

(Ord. 1007 §1(part), 1997).

Subject to all applicable provisions of the California Penal Code and any other law or regulation regarding the handling of citizen complaints and/or the confidential nature of police personnel records the board shall draw up a set of complaint receipt procedures, which shall be submitted to the city council for approval.

(Ord. 1007 §1(part), 1997).

All actions of the board are subject to review by the city council.

(Ord. 1007 §1(part), 1997).