Meeting Overview

The Berkeley City Council convened on November 18, 2025, to discuss the 2024 Police Accountability Board (PAB) and Office of the Director of Police Accountability (ODPA) Annual Report. Mayor Adena Ishii and five council members were present, with Rashi Kesarwani, Terry Taplin, and Ben Bartlett absent. The session, led by Hansuel Aguilar, Director of Police Accountability, focused on reviewing the PAB's oversight activities, policy recommendations, and challenges in police accountability.

Main Agenda Items

The meeting concentrated on several critical areas concerning police accountability:

• Annual Report Overview: The report provided insights into the PAB's activities, highlighting their hybrid oversight system. The PAB reviewed 53 complaints, with a focus on policy recommendations and addressing racial disparities in policing.

• Policy and Oversight Challenges: Discussions included the need for clearer oversight regulations, addressing racial disparities in police stops, and improving community engagement. There was a call for institutional independence and resolving staffing classification challenges.

• Community Engagement and Youth Involvement: Emphasis was placed on enhancing public engagement and youth participation, with the PAB planning to expand its youth works cohort.

• Use of Technology and Data: The meeting touched on the potential use of AI in police reporting and the challenges of IT systems for data sharing between the ODPA and BPD.

• Racial Disparities in Policing: The PAB reported persistent racial disparities, with African-Americans involved in a significant percentage of police stops and use-of-force incidents.

• Public Engagement and Transparency: The council stressed the importance of transparency and the role of PAB and ODPA in fostering accountability. The need for a unified annual report from both bodies was discussed.

• Operational and Technical Challenges: The report highlighted operational challenges, such as equitable community engagement and technical issues affecting data systems.

• Training and Policy Recommendations: The council discussed training hours for BPD officers and the need for policies addressing profiling by proxy and discretionary stops.

Decisions Made

• Unified Reporting: The council expressed a preference for a single, comprehensive annual report from the ODPA and PAB, to be delivered at a predictable time each year.

• Focus on High-Priority Issues: The PAB and ODPA were encouraged to prioritize high-interest community issues and provide actionable recommendations.

• Development of Joint Metrics: There was support for developing joint metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of PAB and ODPA initiatives, particularly in community engagement.

• AI Regulations: The council anticipated a report on AI use in policing, crucial for upcoming regulatory decisions.

• Addressing Racial Disparities: The PAB was tasked with evaluating BPD strategies to reduce racial disparities in policing.

• Community Engagement Strategies: The council encouraged deeper community engagement strategies and expanding outreach efforts.

The meeting concluded without a formal vote on these items, and a motion to adjourn was passed unanimously. Council members expressed gratitude for the efforts of the PAB and ODPA in promoting police accountability and transparency.