Modesto could appoint these 9 residents to new Police Review Board. And hire LA law firm

John Holland
·3 min read

The Modesto City Council on Tuesday could hire a law firm to monitor the Police Department, aided by a nine-member volunteer board.

The actions would be the most substantial to date in the city’s effort to enhance policing through the Forward Together process. It seeks to prevent officer-involved shootings and to get help for mentally stressed people encountered by police, among other goals.

The firm is the OIR Group, based in the Playa del Rey area of Los Angeles. It would receive $451,000 over five years. OIR has provided similar services to about 30 agencies.

The firm would have access to internal investigations of use-of-force incidents, citizen complaints and related issues. It would make its findings public to the extent allowed by laws on officer privacy.

The firm would recommend ways to improve policing but would not decide officer discipline in specific cases.

OIR would work with the new Community Police Review Board. It could hold its first meeting June 15, open to the public.

Applicants had to be registered voters in Modesto who do not work for the city or in law enforcement anywhere. The city staff recommended these members, endorsed by the council’s appointments committee:

  • Latricia Beasley Day, community organizer for Faith in the Valley

  • Kenneth Bryant, retired battalion chief with the Modesto Fire Department

  • Wendy Byrd, president of the NAACP Modesto/Stanislaus

  • Trish Christensen, president and CEO of the Modesto Chamber of Commerce

  • Frank Damrell III, director of government relations for Peer & Co. and aide to former state Sen. Cathleen Galgiani

  • Austin Grant, active with the NAACP and other groups

  • Brad Hawn, civil engineer and former city councilman involved in housing issues

  • Nancy Smith, retired attorney, including California Rural Legal Assistance and the county public defender’s office

  • Nico Solorio, emergency rental assistance manager for City Ministry Network.

Five of the nine served on the Forward Together Committee: Byrd, Christensen, Grant, Hawn and Solorio.

The city staff recommended staggered terms for the new panel. They would run through 2027 for Beasley Day, Bryant, Damrell, Grant and Solorio. The others would serve through 2028.

They would meet at 5 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month. The location has not been decided.

Forward Together emerged from concern about officer-involved shootings and other issues.

Most prominent has been the 2020 shooting death of Trevor Seever by Officer Joseph Lamantia. Seever’s family reached a $7.5 million settlement with the city in April. Lamantia was fired and has been charged with voluntary manslaughter.

OIR’s clients include the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments in Santa Cruz, West Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Palo Alto, Anaheim and Burbank. Modesto would be a good fit, Principal Michael Gennaco wrote in his proposal.

“Our approach involves using our access and insights to enhance a department’s own abilities to hold personnel accountable, learn from its experiences, and cultivate public trust in its work,” he wrote. “... We also pride ourselves on writing public reports that heighten understanding of law enforcement policy and practice.”

The council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th Street. Instructions for taking part online are at www.modestogov.