TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Councilor Linda Nishioka, Ward 2
SUBJECT:
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Motion from Councilor Linda Nishioka for Council to adopt clear guidelines for consideration of criminal history in consideration of appointments to the Community Police Review Board and Civil Service Commission.
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
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MOTION:
I move that City Council adopt the criminal history background check guidelines as set forth in the October 6, 2025 staff report to the City Council Boards and Commissions Appointments Committee for applicants to the Community Police Review Board and Civil Service Commission.
DISCUSSION:
Criminal history is one of the factors Council is required to consider when appointing members of the Community Police Review Board (CPRB). Recently, Council was asked to consider the reappointment of Kyle Hedquist to the Board, however, Council was not specifically informed of Mr. Hedquist’s criminal history, nor what guidelines or standards should be applied to the decision. To properly consider an applicant’s criminal history as it related to the CPRB, Council should be informed of:
• the role of criminal history in the appointment criteria,
• which types of convictions, if any, may disqualify or require additional vetting,
• how much time has passed following a conviction, and
• other information relevant to the consideration.
The guidelines set forth in the October 6, 2025 staff report (Attachment 1) were developed by Police, City Manager, and Legal Department staff and are consistent with the guidelines applied to applications for Police volunteers.
It is appropriate that the same guidelines that are applied to Police volunteers are also applied to CPRB applicants, where criminal history is a mandatory consideration for appointment, and to the Civil Service Commission which concerns the Fire Service and public safety considerations.
Also attached are the CPRB Procedures for criminal history checks that were recently implemented by staff. The document establishes the procedure for conducting criminal history checks for CPRB applicants and the questions that have been added to the CPRB application (Attachment 2).
The intent of this motion is to ensure clear, consistent, and transparent standards for future appointments, reflecting the sensitive nature of the CPRB’s work, the Civil Service Commission, and the community’s expectations.
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Attachments:
1. CPRB Criminal History Background Check staff report to the Boards and Commissions Appointments Committee, dated October 6, 2025.
2. Procedure for Background Checks