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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-03-12 Regular Police Oversight Commission Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Police Oversight Commission ar � r i March 12, 2026 REGULAR MEETING - 5:00 P.M. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER 22 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 CALL TO ORDER MINUTES: Chair Carpenter called the meeting to order at 5:00 P.M. ATTENDANCE Commission Members Evangeline Gawronski Amalia Mejia Carlos Perea Nadin Said Danny Vega Vice Chair Gabriel Castillo Laughton Chair Keith Carpenter Staff Members Independent Oversight Director T. Jack Morse Jr. Deputy City Manager Sylvia Vazquez Deputy Chief Roland Andrade Police Commander Jorge Lopez Assistant City Attorney Jonathan Martinez Recording Secretary Abigail Y. Alcala POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION 1 MARCH 12, 2026 ROLL CALL MINUTES: Recording Secretary Diana Zuniga conducted roll call. Commissioners Gawronski, Mejia, Perea (arrived at 5:03 P.M.), Said (arrived at 5:01 P.M.), and Vega, Vice Chair Castillo Laughton (arrived at 5:01 P.M.), and Chair Carpenter were present. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE MINUTES: Chair Carpenter led the Pledge of Allegiance. PUBLIC COMMENTS—Public comments will be held during the beginning of the meeting for all comments on agenda items. Members of the public may provide comments on any agenda or non-agenda items within the subject matter jurisdiction of the commission. MINUTES: None. CONSENT CALENDAR RECOMMENDED ACTION: Approve staff recommendations on the following Consent Calendar Items: 1 and 2. MINUTES:At 5:02 P.M., the Consent Calendar was considered. MOTION: Commissioner Gawronski moved to approve Consent Calendar Item Nos. 1 and 2, , seconded by Vice Chair Castillo Laughton. The motion carried, 6-0-0-1, by the following roll call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONER GAWRONSKI, COMMISSIONER MEJIA, COMMISSIONER SAID, COMMISSIONER VEGA, VICE CHAIR CASTILLO LAUGHTON, CHAIR CARPENTER NOES: NONE ABSTAIN: NONE ABSENT: COMMISSIONER PEREA Status: 6- 0 - 0 — 1 — Pass 1. Excused Absences Recommended Action: Excuse the absent members. 2. Minutes from the Regular Meetings of February 12, 2026. Recommended Action: Approve minutes. ***END OF CONSENT CALENDAR*** POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION 2 MARCH 12, 2026 BUSINESS CALENDAR MINUTES:At 5:03 P.M., the Business Calendar was considered. 3. Santa Ana Police Department Military Equipment Policy No. 707 and Unmanned Aerial System Policy No. 606 Recommended Action: Receive a presentation and provide input on Santa Ana Police Department's updated Military Equipment Policy No. 707, including the amendment pertaining to the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), and Unmanned Aerial System Policy No. 606. MINUTES: Deputy City Manager Sylvia Vazquez introduced Military Equipment Policy No. 707 and Unmanned Aerial System Policy No. 606. Commander Jorge Lopez provided a presentation regarding Military Equipment Policy No. 707 and Unmanned Aerial System Policy No. 606. Commissioner Gawronski inquired whether the military conducts the training for officers to operate the drones. Commander Lopez clarified the military does not administer the drone training and instead selected Police Department personnel are trained and certified through various drone operator schools. Commissioner Vega inquired whether drones are considered military equipment, the cost of maintenance, the process of acquiring additional drones, and whether drones could be used to investigate illegal fireworks or code violations and requested the Police Department host workshops to educate the community on the new drone program. Commander Lopez stated state law classifies drones as military equipment, and clarified the cities drone program will not be used, provided or trained by the military. Additionally, he stated the projected yearly cost for drone damages and repairs are $15,000 to $20,000. Deputy Chief Roland Andrade outlined drone limitations regarding flight times, and clarified that drones could be dispatched for calls of service regarding illegal fireworks and will not be used to inspect for code enforcement cases. Additionally, he stated there are plans for a marketing campaign to familiarize the community with the drone operations. Vice Chair Castillo Laughton requested clarification regarding the training drone operators will receive and the number of police officers currently licensed for drone operations. Additionally, he expressed concern regarding the costs, inquired regarding the measures in place to protect drones from damage or destruction, the overall utility of the technology, and the availability of a warranty, and raised concern regarding privacy. He recommended the policy define specific usage scenarios rather than relying solely on an officer's judgment. POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION 3 MARCH 12, 2026 Commander Lopez clarified that personnel is trained and certified through various drone operator schools which abide by federal aviation requirements. Deputy Chief Andrade spoke regarding operators being required to obtain an Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate before operating the drones and noted that while there is currently no set number of operators, the program will allow for several backups. He stated that precautions will always be taken to avoid drone damage and while accidents are not always avoidable, the drone is a tool that often prevents officers from entering dangerous situations. He clarified there is a service model in place regarding warranties, drones only record when activated by an officer, any recordings not classified as evidence will be purged, and the department will continue to strictly abide by Fourth Amendment protections. Commissioner Mejia expressed concern regarding privacy, the use of thermal technology, the broadness of the policy language, and allowing drone support to other agencies without language requiring those agencies to abide by Santa Ana's sanctuary policy. She requested clarification regarding Section N of the policy. Deputy Chief Andrade stated Section N includes safeguards to allow command staff to authorize use for unlisted scenarios, the drone policy does not include language prohibiting assistance with immigration cases, and the Police Department will continue to abide by the City's Sanctuary Policy or any court ruling prohibiting specific uses, including thermal technology. Commissioner Said stated that technology can be helpful to assess or deescalate situations and there are legal remedies if the drone is used in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Commissioner Perea questioned whether there is a current Annual Military Equipment report, whether drone data would be stored internally, whether the company maintains access to the footage, and whether the policy prohibits the sale of collected data. He expressed concern regarding privacy, and third-party server storage, and stated the current policy is overly broad and could allow for potential overreach. Deputy City Manager Vazquez stated the current Annual Military Equipment report has been presented to the commission and the new report will be presented at an upcoming meeting. Commissioner Gawronski asked regarding the total number of drones purchased and whether the drones are capable of simultaneous operation. She expressed concern regarding the city-wide use of illegal fireworks, and stated she hopes the drone program might help alleviate this issue. Commander Lopez stated there are five drones in total, and clarified two smaller units are assigned to the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team for field operations, while the remaining three are designated for calls for service. He stated multiple drones could be deployed simultaneously, confirmed the drones could be o illegal fireworks and stated the exac t operational related t p utilized for callsg , procedures remain to be determined. POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION 4 MARCH 12, 2026 Chair Carpenter asked whether there are variations in altitude between transit flight and active observation, whether the drones are deployed to destinations via a pilot or automatically through coordinates, and whether the cameras remain active throughout the duration of the flight. He requested clarification regarding the evidentiary validity of the captured footage and the reasoning behind the prohibition of drone use for code enforcement purposes. Commander Lopez clarified drone altitude is scenario-dependent, will navigate to locations autonomously, and stated that while the camera is active during flight, a remote operator takes control upon arrival to initiate recording when necessary. He clarified drone footage is admissible as evidence, similar to body-worn camera or other surveillance video, and drone use for code enforcement is prohibited as it would constitute a violation of the Fourth Amendment. Commissioner Vega asked whether the drone could be used by the Quality of Life Team (QOLT) to monitor or communicate with unhoused encampments and whether pilots are required to be sworn officers. Commander Lopez stated the current policy does not allow the drone to be used for enforcement purposes and limits drone use to investigative purposes only. Deputy Chief Andrade clarified first responder drones will be operated by sworn officers and other department professionals may use the drones to survey or photograph a scene, and stated drones may be used for an encampment if the call for service involves potential illegal activity. Commissioner Mejia expressed concern regarding the use of drones for surveillance of people who are unhoused, the misuse of surveillance enforcement, and the expansion of operational use to include responding to calls for service, and stated the current policy provides no usage on frequency guidelines, no minimum threshold for deployment and no cap on expansion. She recommended developing a protocol for conducting criminal investigations involving drones, and an annual usage report to the City Council and the Commission, and she asked whether there was any data to support to a reduction of use of force due to drones. Commander Lopez clarified there is currently no data that supports a reduction of use of force due to drones. Commissioner Said stated drones would allow for quick situational awareness which is beneficial and could allow officers to respond more precisely and possibly reduce use of force. She recommended review of the policy within the year to determine if changes are needed and suggested reviewing policies of other cities who have already implemented a drone program. POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION 5 MARCH 12, 2026 Commissioner Perea expressed concern regarding the drone program's community impact and timing, particularly given the known use of drones by federal agencies for immigration enforcement. He recommended adding language that prohibits the service provider from selling data or the unauthorized use of data, including video footage and recommended limiting authorized flight types to specific categories, such as search and rescues, missing person, explosive device investigation, firefighting support, and disaster or mass casualty support. Assistant City Attorney Jonathan Martinez confirmed the vendor contract includes a prohibition for the dissemination of the city's data and clarified that including any prohibition in the policy would have no binding effect on the third party. Vice Chair Castillo Laughton expressed concern regarding potential Fourth Amendment violations, noted similarities to previous court cases involving equipment such as helicopter and X-rays, and asked whether there are any protections in place to prevent Fourth Amendment violations and whether there was any research done on cases related to use of drones in other jurisdictions. He recommended strengthening the language in the policy in regards to when drones can be used for investigatory purposes. Deputy Chief Andrade stated officers will continue to abide by the Fourth Amendment and clarified drones will maintain their camera in the upward position during transit to a destination, once the drone arrives, an officer will manually initiate recording if necessary, and any footage not considered evidence will be purged. He stated there was no research done on litigations but obtained data from other agencies and was unable to locate an instance of resident complaints regarding drone usage and noted one known case involving a drone in the in Los Angeles area. Chair Carpenter expressed concern regarding privacy, cost, overall efficiency of the drone program and removing officer from the field solely for drone operation. He asked whether there would be enough operators to operate all five drones at one time, whether the budget includes the training for the operators, whether there is a recurring cost for the certification, and whether it would be possible for underutilized drone to be reassigned to a high service call area of the city. Deputy Chief Andrade stated the quantity of drones purchased was based on the size and population of the city, and operators will be a mix of assigned staff, noted that in preparation for the potential drone program some officers have already received their certification, and notes it is uncertain if there are any recurring costs for the certification. He stated adjustments could be made in the future to improve drone program's efficiency if needed. Commissioner Mejia asked whether the drone has the ability to focus in on what it is intending to capture in order to avoid inadvertently capturing unrelated footage. Deputy Chief Andrade stated the drone has the capability to zoom into the intended area. Commissioner Perea recommended the annual report include a map highlighting the most common areas the drone was deployed to. POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION 6 MARCH 12, 2026 Independent Oversight Director Jack T. Mores stated the Military Equipment Use policy contains gaps concerning mechanisms to ensure compliance, clarity on which independent persons or entities hold oversight authority, and what legally enforceable sanctions are in place. He stated the policy must include procedures for members of the public to register complaints, concerns, or questions regarding the use of each specific type of military equipment and noted the policy must explicitly state the determinations used to justify the deployment of such equipment. He stated state law allows for the use of military equipment only when no reasonable alternative exists and it is unclear whether a formal analysis or study has been conducted to support that assertion. MOTION: Commissioner Mejia moved to have Oversight Director to conduct additional research on Policy Nos. 606 & 607 and bring back the item as a work study session, seconded by Commissioner Said. The motion carried, 7-0, by the following roll call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONER GAWRONSKI, COMMISSIONER MEJIA, COMMISSIONER PEREA, COMMISSIONER SAID, COMMISSIONER VEGA, VICE CHAIR CASTILLO NOES: LAUGHTON, CHAIR CARPENTER ABSTAIN: NONE ABSENT: NONE NONE Status: 7— 0— Pass ***END OF BUSINESS CALENDAR*** COMMISSIONER REQUESTED ITEMS 4. Discuss and Consider Placing an Item(s) on a Future Agenda Regarding Santa Ana Police Department Policy Nos. 311 and 303 — Commissioner Mejia MINUTES: Commissioner Mejia provided a brief report regarding Police Department Policy Nos. 311 and 303. Commissioner Said asked for clarification regarding the language presented in the memo regarding the application of Assembly Bill 40 in the field. Commissioner Mejia clarified the wording is intended to ensure the Commission can review data to confirm policy compliance and recommended reviewing one to two years of related data to identify patterns or issues that need to be addressed. Independent Oversight Director Jack T. Mores stated the Commission could do a formal review of the policy and an audit of the Police Department's use of less-lethal devices. POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION 7 MARCH 12, 2026 Assistant City Attorney Jonathan Martinez stated the item could consist of a review of Policies 311 and 303 as they apply to the Assembly Bill, followed by a Commission decision on whether to conduct an audit of Policy 303. Discussion ensued regarding the optimal presentation for the item and the necessity of providing supporting data. MOTION: Commissioner Mejia moved to bring Santa Ana Police Department Policy Nos. 311 and 303 for review as a work study session item, seconded by Commissioner Vega. The motion carried, 7-0, by the following roll call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONER GAWRONSKI, COMMISSIONER MEJIA, COMMISSIONER PEREA, COMMISSIONER SAID, COMMISSIONER VEGA, VICE CHAIR CASTILLO NOES: LAUGHTON, CHAIR CARPENTER ABSTAIN: NONE ABSENT: NONE NONE Status: 7— 0 — Pass MOTION: Commissioner Mejia moved to have an audit of Santa Ana Police Department Policy No. 303 to ensure compliance in policy and practice with AB48 based on readily available information as a work study session item, seconded by Commissioner Perea. The motion carried, 6-1, by the following roll call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONER GAWRONSKI, COMMISSIONER MEJIA, COMMISSIONER PEREA, COMMISSIONER SAID, NOES: COMMISSIONER VEGA,VICE CHAIR CASTILLO LAUGHTON ABSTAIN: CHAIR CARPENTER ABSENT: NONE NONE Status: 6— 1 — Pass STAFF COMMENTS i MINUTES: Deputy City Manager Sylvia Vazquez differed her comments to the Police Department to share with the commission their upcoming Community Police Academy taking place May 13 through July 15, 2026. Deputy Chief Roland Andrade announced and spoke regarding their Community Police Academy. POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION 8 MARCH 12, 2026 COMMISSIONER COMMENTS MINUTES: Commissioner Gawronski thanked everyone for an interesting evening. Commissioner Mejia thanked staff and the commissioners for being involved with the policy, stated it sets a good precedent on how policy should be analyzed, and reiterated her concern regarding the usage of drones, views the Commission's role as ensuring there is a good policy, and warns that increased surveillance could be a false illusion of safety. Commissioner Said thanked staff for the presentation and stated she looks forward to review of policy, and analyzing the future drone report to determine whether it can reduce crimes and use of force. Chair Carpenter thanked staff for the presentation and expressed concern regarding the infringement of freedoms. ADJOURNMENT -Adjourn the Police Oversight Commission Meeting. MINUTES: Chair Carpenter adjourned the Police Oversight Commission meeting at 7:29 P.M. The next meeting of the Police Oversight Commission is scheduled for April 9, 2026 at 5:00 P.M. Respectfully submitted: Diana Zuniga 67 Recording Secretary Attest: iil;�A7/I 'la, CMC Assi to C ty Clerk POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION 9 MARCH 12, 2026