Pomona : Public Safety Panel OKd

The Pomona City Council voted 3 to 2 this week to establish a Public Safety Commission to advise the council concerning police and fire problems.

Council members Nell Soto and C. L. (Clay) Bryant were appointed to work with city staff members to prepare an ordinance spelling out the commission’s duties. The ordinance must be approved by the council before commissioners are appointed.

Soto, who proposed the commission, said it would examine public safety issues, ranging from traffic problems to citizen complaints. She said the commission would not have the power to punish employees, nor would it function as a watchdog agency. However, Bryant offered a different view, saying it could serve as a police review board to look into complaints against police officers. Councilman Tomas Ursua said the commission should function as would an ombudsman.

Mayor Donna Smith and Councilman Mark A. T. Nymeyer voted against the proposal. Smith said the commission might alienate workers and even entangle the city in legal problems were it to provide a forum for complaints against employees. Nymeyer said Soto’s proposal was too vague.

“If the commission is going to be a place where officers can be disciplined, it would be a big mistake,” Nymeyer said.