South Lake Tahoe to have new community-based Police Advisory Commission

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - City Council unanimously approved the formation of a new five-member Police Advisory Commission for the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) during its meeting Tuesday evening.

Staff has been working on creating the format of the commission, one that will provide civilian oversight in order to continue transparency and accountability between the police department and the public, especially in light of issues around the country. The commission is being created to help increase confidence in the police, help manage risk, ensure greater accountability, support effective policing, build bridges, and protect civil rights.

STLPD Chief David Stevenson has been committed to the creation of the commission and its duties since being named chief last July.

The Police Advisory Commission will participate in the following tasks:

Police Department Policy:
- Review updates/changes
- Recommendations

Officer Personnel Complaints
- Annual report of complaints, investigations, nature, outcomes
- Report a complaint for a person unwilling/unable to make a complaint

Transparency Reports
- Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA data)
- Use of force statistics
- Other information

Hiring and Recruitment
- Local recruitment strategies and partnerships

Community
- Police/community event collaboration
- Cultural competency, diversity, bias training, and sharing from local communities

Open Forum

The City is creating the application for those interested in being on the commission. Of the five community members chosen, two spots are reserved for members of the Multicultural Alliance. Once the application process is finalized and ready for recruitment, the City Clerk will announce when the application process will be open for the Police Advisory Committee.

City Council said they'd like to see staff from Lake Tahoe Unified School District, Lake Tahoe Community College, and a business owner on the commission. The Chief of Police will attend commission meetings and provide information, answer questions, collaborate with, and follow-up as requested by the commission.