Alameda is joining numerous cities across the country in rethinking how we provide policing before next year’s city budget is prepared. What level of policing we want and expect from the Alameda Police Department (APD) will determine the funding we provide.
Recently the League of Women Voters and AAUW hosted an online discussion with the APD to inform the public of current police policies and practices, and the challenges and opportunities we face. Michele Ellson moderated the discussion.
The panel featured Interim Police Chief Jeffery Emmitt, former Police Chief Paul Rolleri (Ret.), and Captain Matt McMullen. They fielded questions about recruitment and training, daily operations, staffing, accountability and oversight, data collection, use of force, and building trust and legitimacy.
The populist rallying cry to “defund the police” lost some steam by the end of the discussion when it became apparent that the APD has already been defunded. Continue reading