"Berkeleyans created his agency, the Office of the Director of Police Accountability, along with the council-appointed Police Accountability Board (PAB), through a 2020 ballot measure that was supported by 85% of voters. The PAB was supposed to be a beefed-up successor to the former Police Review Commission, with Aguilar's office as its executive arm. But just a few years later, all of the original PAB members have moved on; several resigned in frustration, saying their work was stymied by Berkeley's police leadership, city administration and City Council."
"Meanwhile Aguilar's firing was the culmination of months of mounting hostility between his office and the rest of City Hall, with council members excoriating Aguilar for what they have seen as failures in leadership and Aguilar suing Berkeley Police Department Chief Jen Louis over records her agency has refused to turn over."
"Aguilar did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday night, but Josh Cayetano, the PAB chair, said he was surprised and disappointed at Aguilar's ouster, describing the director as a committed and strong advocate for accountability and oversight."
Berkeley City Council voted unanimously to remove Hansel Aguilar as Director of Police Accountability, with the dismissal effective one month after notice; one councilmember was absent. Aguilar led the administrative side of the Office of the Director of Police Accountability since October 2022. Voters approved the office and a council-appointed Police Accountability Board (PAB) via a 2020 ballot measure with 85% support. Many original PAB members resigned amid frustration, citing obstruction by police leadership, city administration and the council. Aguilar's firing followed months of mounting hostility, council criticism of his leadership and Aguilar's lawsuit against Police Chief Jen Louis over withheld records.
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]