New L.B. Police Complaint Unit Seeks Nominees

LONG BEACH — Interested in investigating complaints of police brutality? There are 11 new openings for the job.

The Long Beach electorate recently voted 57% in favor of creating a civilian commission to investigate complaints of police brutality and abuse. Mayor Ernie Kell and the City Council are taking applications from residents who want a voice on the Citizen Police Complaint Commission.

In fact, Kell said three days after the election that he had mailed out applications to community activists, minority leaders and business groups. Kell will appoint two of the commission members. Each of the nine council members gets one appointment. The mayor said he expects the review board to be functioning by June.

Barbara Shoag, one of the supporters spearheading the ballot measure, said voter approval reflects “community dissatisfaction with the tenor of events in the Police Department, and it reflects our goal of restoring trust and confidence in the department through citizen involvement.”

Councilman Jeff Kellogg, who opposed Proposition 1, attributed its victory to the hard work of the many organizations that backed it. Kellogg, the city’s firefighters and a small group of prominent businessmen had argued that the commission will be costly and won’t reduce crime. “My hope is that it achieves all the things its supporters say it will do,” Kellogg said.