by Leslie Layton and Dave Waddell
Item 5.5 on tonight’s City Council agenda could easily be overlooked given other hot-button topics competing for attention. But it could be instrumental in shaping police-community relations.
Mayor Randall Stone has agendized a discussion on the Police Community Advisory Board (PCAB), a nine-member panel, in a bid to press for more transparency from Chico Police Department. [Editor’s note: Stone tabled the discussion at the Feb. 18 meeting until a replacement for the retiring chief is appointed.]
Retiring police Chief Michael O’Brien is in the process of reviving the board, while Mayor Stone indicated he’d like to see the board dismantled — even though that’s not what he’s asking for tonight.
Stone said earlier this week that he doesn’t believe there’s any support for dismantlement, that he’s hoping the Council will “move in a direction toward greater transparency, change the PCAB to provide more community engagement.”