Since Common Ground made its appearance at City Hall in August 2022 to advocate for the passing of the Police Oversight and Accountability ordinance, we must humbly pat ourselves on the back and say we prevailed in our efforts. 

Although we faced a few hiccups along the way – including the departure of Police Chief Shawny Williams, resistance from some of the appointed officials and the Vallejo Police Officers’ Association, and challenges by local organizations to some of the ordinance language listed – we were able to get the Vallejo City Council to pass the ordinance in December 2022, just before Common Ground leader Taza Alexander’s milestone birthday. This was a huge victory because this ordinance took three years to craft and draft by dedicated and committed individuals who were familiar with police accountability commissions locally and nationally. We met with numerous organizations in that 3-year time span who provided Common Ground with insightful information to make sure we “got it right.” We conducted research and presented facts to the Vallejo City Council on the importance of having police oversight, especially in a city that had the highest number of officer-involved shootings that resulted in death in the State of California. The initial draft ordinance cost the City of Vallejo absolutely nothing; it was crafted with love.

Because of Common Ground’s commitment to address an issue that had such a huge and detrimental impact to communities of color, two individuals from Common Ground’s public safety committee who assisted in drafting the ordinance applied to be on the Police Oversight and Accountability Commission: Mike Nisperos and Renee Sykes. Both were accepted and in August 2024 were sworn in as commissioners. They are patiently waiting to hear when their role as commissioners will commence so they can begin attending the mandated training.

Common Ground’s public safety team should be commended for their dedication, determination, and persistence in getting this ordinance passed. The work was hard, but the reward was immeasurable.