SECURE JUSTICE CALLS FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL INVESTIGATION INTO BPD ARREST QUOTA POLICY
On November 10, 2022, Berkeley Police Department (“BPD”) Officer Corey Shedoudy emailed the Mayor and CIty Council, alleging the presence of an arrest quota program for the Downtown Task Force Bike Patrol, of which he was a member. Officer Shedoudy is presently facing disciplinary action by BPD. Secure Justice called on Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate these claims into what might be a very illegal and unconstitutional pattern of police practice, involving racial profiling and targeting of unhoused populations. We further demanded that the City of Berkeley hire a truly independent, outside firm to conduct its own investigation into the matter (see update below).
Officer Shedoudy attached text messages to his email that appear to support his claims pertaining to the arrest quota program imposed by Sgt. Kacalek. Officer Shedoudy’s email further claims that the program allegedly began when Interim Police Chief Jennifer Louis was a Captain, and continued after she was named Interim Chief. On Tuesday November 15, the Berkeley City Council will consider naming Interim Chief Louis as the permanent chief of the department. Secure Justice calls for the City Council to postpone such an important decision until these serious allegations are investigated. Almost as troubling as the allegations themselves is the emailed response of City Manager Williams-Ridley to the City Council, first ordering that the email and text messages not be shared, and stating her belief that she believes there is no reason to pause the hiring of Louis.
BPD has a troubling past with regard to racial discrimination and its present stop-data reports reveal that BPD is specifically targeting Black drivers even more egregiously than the Oakland Police Department, which is presently in its record setting nineteenth year of federal monitoring due to its own culture of racial profiling and targeting Black Oaklanders.
UPDATE: In response to strong public pressure, the City of Berkeley hired San Francisco firm Swanson & McNamara, which has done similar work in neighboring Oakland. https://www.berkeleyside.org/2022/12/09/berkeley-police-kacalek-shedoudy-swanson-text-messages
UPDATE UPDATE: Despite a November 15, 2022 promise to not promote Interim Chief Louis prior to completion of the above investigation, and in likely violation of Berkeley’s City Charter, City Manager Williams-Ridley is again attempting to promote Ms. Louis (May 9, 6:00 PM, Consent Calendar Agenda). Watch dogs Jim Chanin (Mayor’s Fair and Impartial Policing Working Group), Nathan Mizell (former Vice-Chair Berkeley Police Accountability Board), and Secure Justice co-signed a letter to the City Manager and Council highlighting the legal risk of ignoring the Charter with regard to the City Manager’s duty to consult with the Board and evaluate candidates for the Chief of Police. In addition to the outside firm of Swanson & McNamara’s incomplete investigation, the Board’s own investigation is likewise not yet complete.