For Simmons, a board member of Sacramento Area Congregations Together and student of the civil rights movement, all this feels a little too reactive. It made news when he resigned from a citizens police commission, saying it lacked authority and relevance. His departure also elbowed a foot-dragging City Hall to adopt a raft of reforms, including giving the police commission baby teeth. Police Chief Sam Somers retired, Hahn was wooed back from Roseville and the deployment of body-worn cameras soon followed.
Simmons would like to quicken that pace.
“Why does it take these critical moments like Stephon Clark to put these measures into place?” Simmons challenged. “If reform only moves on these critical moments, we’re moving too slow.”
“It’s time for us to speed up,” added Jamilia Land, a friend of the Clark family and member of the Love Not Blood Campaign. “It’s been 20 years since Rodney King. It’s been 10 years since Oscar Grant. It’s been seven months since Stephon Clark. When are we really going to push for accountability?”
