Mayor, City Council Announce Members of New Police Reform Commission

Mayor Lee Brand, Fresno Council President Miguel Arias, and Councilmembers Luis Chavez and Esmeralda Soria today announced the members of the newly established Fresno Commission for Police Reform.

In response to local and national demands for changes in policing to address decades of inequalities, City leaders have been working to identify actions that will prevent tragic events like the death of George Floyd.  In that spirit, the 37-member commission will include residents, community advocates, and experts on public safety and community policing.  The commission will begin meeting immediately and, over the coming weeks, identify reform recommendations to the City Council for consideration.

“This task force is made up of leaders from a diverse collection of stakeholder communities and will put their voices at the center of our in-depth and vital conversations about the future of policing in the City of Fresno,” said Mayor Brand.  ‘’The focus of our discussions will be centered on developing solutions for real and sustained change that make Fresno a better, safer place for all.”

“While this commission’s work will be extremely difficult, our community deserves nothing less than our best collaboration. The Commission is representation of our diversity and the communities most impacted by public safety. We are honored that they have accepted the call to serve as we take action to improve public safety for our whole city,” said Council President Arias.

The members of the newly formed Fresno Commission for Police Reform are:

• Oliver Baines, Chair
• D’Aungillique Jackson – Fresno State NAACP, President
• Sandra Celedon, Fresno Building Healthy Communities, Executive Director
• Greg Garner, Retired Chief of Police, City of Selma
• Mariah Thompson, National Lawyers Guild
• Todd Frazier, Fresno Police Officers Association, President
• Aaron Foster, Faith in the Valley
• Ron Manning, City of Fresno Police Department, Sergeant
• Bob Mitchell, Community Leader
• Ashley Rojas, Fresno Barrios Unidos, Executive Director
• Michael S. Reid JD, MBA, Deputy Chief, City of Fresno Police Department
• Luisa Medina, Community Member
• Scott Baly, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office 
• Angie Isaak, Retired City of Fresno Police Officer
• Dr. Joseph Jones, Fresno Pacific University, President 
• Deep Singh, Jakara Movement
• Efrain Botello, Boys and Men of Color 
• Mark Salazar, City of Fresno Police Department, Captain
• Brian King, Fresno EOC Street Saints
• Annalisa Perea, State Center Community College, Vice President
• Dr. James Pitts, Fresno State Department of Criminology, Professor
• Gloria Hernandez, Community Advocate
• Mai Thao, Civic Engagement Director, Hmong Innovating Politics
• Grisanti Valencia, Youth Organize California
• Pastor DJ Criner, Saint Rest Baptist Church
• Pastor BT Lewis, Rising Star Church 
• Keisha Thomas, Fresno Unified School District, President
  Veva Islas, Fresno Unified School District Trustee
• Marcel Woodruff, Faith in the Valley
• Phil Cooley, Deputy Chief, City of Fresno Police Department
• Adrian Jones, Fresno Housing Authority, Chair
• Brandon Dixon-James, Financial Advisor
• Rev. Simon Biasell, Woven Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church
• Rod Wade Jr., United Fresno
• John Leal, State Center Community College District, President
• Gail Gaston, Community Advocate
• Robert H. Oliver, Retired Judge