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MR. AUSTIN : I certainly would have to agree <br /> with that. With a commission of five or seven members , I think <br /> they should be the one to set the policy and not the mayor. If <br /> you have to choose between one or the other, and if he is finding <br /> himself in a bind , thinking that he has to abide by the commission <br /> who, itself, is appointed by the mayor, I could see his dilemma. <br /> I had no idea it worked that way that he felt in such a bind. <br /> If he does, I think you should take that into consideration if <br /> you think of changing the section. <br /> Going back to the subject where I am stuck , I <br /> really can ' t tell you for sure whether I favor the election of the <br /> police chief as such, or his choice by the commission, or by the <br /> mayor. I think you' ll have to get someone else who is better <br /> qualified :to comment on that. <br /> If there are no other questions , I would like <br /> to go on to the matter of taxation. Here, I am really in the <br /> dark as to what authority the Charter Review Commission has. <br /> MR. ISHIDA: Mr. Austin, you indicated that you <br /> would possibly eliminate the police commission if it is not <br /> serving its purpose. Would you elaborate on that? <br /> MR. AUSTIN: I can ' t tell you exactly the reasons <br /> for it. It is just that my background is in law enforcement and <br /> I have been watching the newspapers for articles on the police <br /> commission for five years , or so. Over that time, I just got <br /> the feeling that they really don ' t take the stands when they <br /> should. When they do take a stand, the charter, itself, has put <br /> them in such a weak position that they really can ' t be as <br /> effective as they should be. I believe that there should be <br /> some civilian review over police and I think the commission <br /> could serve that purpose very well. If we have cases , for <br /> instance, of police officers and even lieutenants allegedly <br /> involved in some kind of drug operation , the police commission <br /> should insist that these matters be cleared up and that the <br /> press be appropriately and timely advised. in other ,words , my <br /> impressions come from the failure of the commission to take a <br /> positive, definite stand on matters of considerable public interest <br /> where the public ' s confidence in the police department is at <br /> stake. Sometimes , I get a feeling that county agencies , namely <br /> the police, may not always be well represented by the press . <br /> I think it may be because they are not in a position to tell <br /> all the facts and rather than not tell all the facts they tell <br /> none. I think that an effective police commission would do a <br /> better job of getting the point of view of the police across <br /> without compromising police work. But when you come down to <br /> specifics where the commission has failed , I think it goes back <br /> to the charter and to the way the commission sees the charter <br /> as restricting its own advice and counsel and, for that matter, <br /> its line of authority over the police department. I 'm sorry <br /> I can ' t be more helpful . This is just my own personal opinion <br /> and I haven ' t attended very many police commission meetings <br /> so I can ' t comment further as to their day to day operations . <br /> But that is the way that they project themselves through the <br /> press to me. <br /> MR. ISHIDA: Thank you. <br /> -11- <br />