Public Safety Commission

Purpose, Scope, and Duties

The Public Safety Commission is an advisory body created to assist the city council on public safety related issues. The Public Safety Commission also facilitates intra-governmental and intracommunity communication and promotes community awareness of public safety related issues. The City will retain its current system of complaint resolution with the City Manager retaining responsibility for determining if an outside investigator is needed and retaining such services.  

In addition to the general provisions outlined in Chapter 2.20, the scope and duties of the Public Safety Commission shall include the following:

A. Review and analyze issues and make recommendations to the City Council in the areas of public safety which includes crime and fire prevention, emergency preparedness, and public safety related code enforcement; and

B. Increase awareness of community public safety needs by improving communication between the community, City Council, and public safety agencies.

C. The commission will be available to address informal complaints of a general nature as to policy or procedure. The commission will listen to and attempt to resolve the informal complaint and may vote to forward the issue to the pertinent department chief for review and consideration. After reviewing such complaints, the appropriate chief will provide an update to the commission at the next scheduled commission meeting. If complaints are made about individual police or fire employees, the commission should not hear the complaint, but the complainant should be advised as to how to file their complaint with the appropriate department or with the City Manager.

D. The Commission may prepare an annual report to be presented to the City Council. The report may provide data regarding the number and nature of informal cases reviewed, and an evaluation of the City's policies, personnel rules and regulations as related to the informal complaints, and may include recommendation(s) to the City Council, as appropriate. Proposed changes may be considered by the City Council and rejected, modified, or implemented, in full compliance with all applicable laws, including, but not limited to, labor negotiations.

E. The Commission will work with public agencies to facilitate community outreach programs to help build community trust and transparency. 

Meeting Times

The Commission meets at 6:00 p.m. on the third Monday of the first month in each quarter (January, April, July, and October).

Membership

The Public Safety Commission consists of five (5) voting members that serve three-year terms (two term limit) and one non-voting youth member with a one-year term.

For agendas, minutes, and video recordings, visit:

Meeting Agenda, Attachments, Minutes & Video | Rio Vista, CA (riovistacity.com)