RICHMOND -City Council members said Tuesday night they were "ashamed" and "deeply offended" by the police department's refusal to acknowledge alleged beatings and other civil rights violations one year after the city's infamous Cinco de Mayo street disturbance.
"Police dogs were brought against the public," councilman Jim Rogers said. "And a year later, nothing has happened to the people who made that decision ... that is dropping the ball. That is inexcusable."
Rogers and several of his colleagues had harsh words for the department's apparent lack of internal investigation into the incident and its planning for this year's holiday after being presented with a proclamation about safety and tolerance during city festivals.
The council would not vote on the proclamation. Several members said they would not support it because it failed to even mention last year's problems following a Cinco de Mayo celebration, even as policing plans for this weekend's observances were prepared.
Last May 5, police shut down a long stretch of 23rd Street after reports of cars driving recklessly and a large, unruly crowd. They arrested dozens of people and many claim they were beaten by officers, pepper sprayed without provocation and threatened with dogs.
"We've been waiting patiently for a year to come to some conclusion about if it was the fault of the department and, if so, what disciplinary action has been taken," Councilwoman Maria Viramontes said. "I support our police, but I am totally against bad policing. It has no place in civil society."
The Richmond Police Commission earlier this month substantiated several complaints of excessive force and racist behavior against several officers. Community activist Andres Soto and several others filed a $1.7 million claim against the city following the decision.
Specifics of the commission's findings remain confidential according to state law.
Police Chief Joseph Samuels Jr. told the council he would give his response to the commission's findings and decisions about officer discipline next week.
In response to the incident, the department added a blanket prohibition on using police dogs for crowd control, Samuels said. "You will not see canines at any city festival unless requested for demonstration purposes."
Samuels, however, claimed at a police commission hearing earlier this month that officers did not use dogs to control the crowd last May.
Police officials had previously said internal affairs had not investigated the case until this month, when the commission handed its findings to the chief.
On Tuesday, Samuels told the council "we haven't just been sitting idly by on our butts. We've undertaken our own internal review."
But a lawyer for Annette Lerma and 11 others central in the case disagreed.
"She was contacted for the first time about eight hours before the city council meeting," said attorney H.F. Layton. "As far as I know, they have not contacted any of my clients except her."
Council members and speakers said investigation, discipline and policy changes should have been handled months ago. Samuels' critics also panned a traffic control and crowd management plan the chief presented, saying it was heavy handed, last minute and too expensive -- the worst-case overtime cost estimate is $57,545, according to Samuels' report.
As many as 31 extra officers will patrol by car, bicycle and on foot along 23rd Street on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
The department plans on having community members walk or ride with officers. Anyone interested in volunteering for a Cinco de Mayo police ride-along is invited to meet at 6 p.m. today at Plaza Garibaldi, a restaurant at 250 23rd St. in Richmond.
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