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the function of this group. I do believe you need a civil <br /> service commission to oversee the management of the director <br /> of civil service. I 'm not too sure that they should appoint <br /> the director but certainly they should oversee it. I ' m a <br /> little unsure of myself, too, on the police chief. Whether <br /> the commission should appoint the police chief or not or <br /> whether he should be the mayor ' s appointee. But they <br /> certainly should have investigatory and overseeing powers and <br /> the ability to see anything that goes on in that police <br /> department, or practically anything. Planning commission, I <br /> think we need a planning commission with powers very similar <br /> to what they have now. I think the old charter people did a <br /> pretty'igood job on those and I think our charter is quite_.._ <br /> a bit better than most counties that I know anything about at <br /> all . Actually, I wouldn ' t mind if it were left alone. <br /> MR. ISHIDA: One of the basic concerns is the <br /> police commission and I am trying to resolve in my mind if <br /> we place the police chief directly under the mayor, really, <br /> what is the roll of the commission then going to be? <br /> MR. MCCALL: Right now, the police chief is <br /> directly under the mayor except in the matter of appointment <br /> in this charter. All operations are under the control of the <br /> mayor but this makes a rather ambiguous type of a responsibility. <br /> Where the fact that the commission has the power to fire a <br /> police chief, theoretically, they have no power to influence <br /> his operations. It doesn 't work that way because if they have <br /> the power to fire him, they certainly can suggest that he <br /> change his methods or do something and this carries quite a <br /> bit of weight if you have the power to get rid of him. <br /> MR. I_SHIDA: This is what I am trying to determine. <br /> If we take that power away from the commission, then what would <br /> they really determine? What would their role be? <br /> MR. MCCALL: We definitely need someone to look <br /> over the shoulder of the police chief and the operation of the <br /> police department other than a mayor, let ' s say, or the council . <br /> Of course, the council has that responsibility as well. I do <br /> believe in commissions or committees just for overseeing or <br /> monitoring functions, whatever you want to call it. I think <br /> you need that in a very sensitive operation like the police <br /> because I don ' t think I would care to have the power to arrest <br /> and charge rest solely with, _1.et ' s :say, _one man, which might be <br /> the mayor. I think someone should be watching to see what he <br /> is doing and how he is doing it. No more do I trust the police <br /> commission to have that power alone. <br /> MR. ISHIDA: Under the monitoring type of <br /> commission , what would the commission ' s role be aas far as the <br /> mayor is concerned as opposed to the police chief. I can see <br /> where the chief would_ be directly accountable to the mayor and <br /> where the commission can' be overseeing all of the operations <br /> of the police department, yet the police chief is doing what <br /> the mayor is telling him to do. How would the mayor be under <br /> scrutiny as far as the commission is concerned? <br /> -33- <br />