The Berkeley Metropolis Council has formally appointed Jen Louis as the town’s prime cop — the primary lady, Asian-American and overtly homosexual individual to steer Berkeley’s police division — regardless of controversy throughout her tenure and two pending misconduct investigations.
Tuesday’s resolution deeply divided each the council and neighborhood, coming practically six months after damning allegations of arrest quotas, racial profiling and a focused give attention to homeless folks first jeopardized efforts to verify Louis, a 23-year division veteran who spent the previous 26 months as interim police chief.
Her appointment is clouded by controversies — one involving a racist arrest scandal amongst officers, the opposite previous allegations of sexual harassment towards Louis herself. Outcomes of two investigations of misconduct inside the division gained’t be made public till early July.
Metropolis officers, nevertheless insisted that Louis’ appointment be finalized, saying that persevering with to delay the appointment of a police chief is negatively impacting public security and the division’s recruitment and retention efforts. Louis’ annual base wage might be $301,820.
In November, a former Berkeley police officer emailed the complete Metropolis Council dozens of textual content message screenshots that appeared to implicate a number of officers — together with Sgt. Darren Kacalek, a 20-year division veteran and president of the police affiliation — in disparaging statements made towards unhoused residents and folks of coloration between October 2019 and December of 2020
Kacalek, who was the supervisor of the police division’s Downtown Job Power and Bike Element earlier than being positioned on depart final 12 months, was accused of specializing in homeless folks to efficiently make 100 arrests every month — a violation of California legislation explicitly banning arrest quotas. Investigations led by the town’s Police Accountability Board and an outdoor San Francisco legislation agency had been tasked with figuring out the legitimacy of the alleged messages and arrest quota, in addition to who was conscious of the texts and what actions they took in response.
Subsequently, a bombshell story from the Los Angeles Instances in December revealed that Louis had been investigated for allegations of sexual harassment whereas working as a police captain in 2017. An outdoor investigation concluded that she had made inappropriate feedback to a different feminine officer at a celebration, however claims from two different ladies weren't substantiated.
She was suspended for 5 days by former police Chief Andrew Greenwood however efficiently appealed that call and was given a written reprimand as an alternative.
Following a three-hour dialogue late Tuesday evening, Louis was appointed in a 7-0-2 vote. Councilmembers Kate Harrison and Ben Bartlett abstained. Mayor Jesse Arreguín and Councilmember Sophie Hahn initially joined Harrison and Bartlett in supporting a movement to delay the choice two months to attend for the investigations to be finalized, however they finally sided with the chief when that vote failed.
“In the long run, the (police) division has the ability to change folks’s lives endlessly, for good or dangerous,” Harrison mentioned, clarifying that she felt Louis has carried out a very good job thus far. “There’s numerous crime that needs to be addressed in Berkeley — I’m not denying that — however transferring ahead tonight would undermine the voters’ will and injury the Police Accountability Board’s impartial energy.”
Hahn agreed, including that Louis “deserves to start out her tenure and not using a cloud of doubt.”
On Tuesday, Louis mentioned she is the proper individual for the job, regardless of the controversies.
“My focus and imaginative and prescient for the way forward for the Berkeley Police Division and the complete legislation enforcement career are grounded in leaving a legacy that my youngsters can see and be happy with,” Louis mentioned Tuesday. “My appointment will be sure that the essential insurance policies of truthful and neutral policing in addition to reimagining public security proceed to maneuver ahead.”
Defending the choice to nominate Louis earlier than findings into each of these controversies turn into public, Metropolis Supervisor Dee Williams-Ridley mentioned she already had “ample info” in regards to the investigation that satisfied her to maneuver ahead with the appointment.
She mentioned that when the racist textual content messages had been shared, Louis was serving as a captain overseeing a wholly completely different space of the police division, missing any command authority over the unit going through scrutiny.
“I'm assured Jen Louis is not going to solely present that wanted stability for the division however may also proceed to offer the management and imaginative and prescient our police division wants and deserves,” she mentioned.
Dozens of Berkeley residents spoke throughout public touch upon Tuesday.
Native enterprise leaders largely supported her appointment, as did a number of dad and mom who shared fears for the protection of their youngsters finding out at UC Berkeley. However a majority of the audio system — together with numerous UC Berkeley college students — opposed Louis’ appointment, arguing that in an effort to reform policing, the town must conduct one other nationwide search.
The loudest opposition criticized metropolis officers’ timing of the choice.
“It’s laborious for me to think about one thing you can do that will additional erode public belief then to undermine the establishments which might be purported to be a verify on unchecked policing,” Avery Arbaugh, the incoming president of the Cal Berkeley Democrats, mentioned earlier than the vote.
However Berkeley resident Josh Buswell-Charkow as an alternative lambasted how lengthy the appointment had been dragged out, arguing that ongoing violent assaults, automotive jackings and armed robberies throughout the town are an even bigger concern than who leads the Berkeley police division.
“The overwhelming majority of opponents of Jen Louis don’t oppose her, they oppose police, and as such, they don’t imagine within the place of police chief,” Buswell-Charkow mentioned. “The truth that the council has been held hostage by these anti-cop zealots for thus lengthy, that's what is shameful. Sufficient taking part in Russian roulette with the lives of Berkeley residents.”