Appointment of Eight Commissioners to Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission Confirmed by Saint Paul City Council

Appointment of Eight Commissioners to Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission Confirmed by Saint Paul City Council

Diverse commission gives residents an opportunity to evaluate complaints and make policy recommendations to the Chief of Police 

SAINT PAUL – The Saint Paul City Council today approved the appointment of eight new commissioners to the Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission (PCIARC). The PCIARC is a commission of nine Saint Paul residents who review police misconduct complaints and provide disciplinary and policy recommendations to the Chief of the Saint Paul Police Department. PCIARC commissioners are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council to serve three-year terms.   

“I am pleased to welcome a new group of appointees to the Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission,” said Mayor Coleman. “Each of these new commissioners reflect my commitment to strengthening trust between our police officers and Saint Paul residents, and promoting diversity, equity, and justice across all of our communities.” 

In 2016, following a University of Minnesota Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking PCIARC audit, an in-depth review by the Saint Paul City Attorney’s Office and several community conversations, Mayor Coleman and the Saint Paul City Council made changes to the PCIARC. The changes included adding four civilians to the commission and removing the police positions from the PCIARC. Additionally, the management of the PCIARC, including the PCIARC Coordinator position, moved from the police department to the Department of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity (HREEO). The changes to the PCIARC are designed to enhance the police misconduct complaint process in a transparent and informed manner, while following state labor laws.   

“The City of Saint Paul remains dedicated to a police-civilian review process that will engender trust within our communities and within the officers that serve them,” said Deputy Mayor Beckmann. “The appointments today advance the goal of the PCIARC to conduct balanced, resident-led oversight of the police department by a diverse and representative group of Saint Paul residents.” 

The PCIARC is comprised of the following individuals: 

• Susan Trupiano is a long-time resident of the Hamline Midway neighborhood, and has been an active leader with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Ms. Trupiano is the interim Chair of the PCIARC and has been a PCIARC Commissioner since 2011. Her term expires December 31, 2017.* 

• Daria Caldwell is a Saint Paul Public Schools Teacher and wants to be a commissioner to better serve the community where she works and lives. As an educator, Ms. Caldwell has stressed the importance of civic engagement and wants to be an example for her students. 

• Kristin Clark is an attorney who intends to use her legal background to make impartial and responsible decisions involving difficult issues. Ms. Clark has been active with boards and nonprofits advocating on behalf of victims of sexual assault and access to healthcare in low-income areas.    

• Sasha Cotton is a Public Health Specialist/Youth Violence Prevention Coordinator for the City of Minneapolis, a life-long resident of Saint Paul, Vice Chair of the African American Leadership Council, and has substantial community relations experience with youth and the police. 

• Eric Forstrom is Vice President Group Product Manager with US Bank, has lived in Saint Paul for more than 20 years, and will use his financial background to make data driven decisions. 

• Kaohly Her is a long-time Saint Paul resident who has significant community outreach experience, including as a former HREEO Commissioner. 

• Bryan Langford was appointed to the PCIARC in 2016, and is District 2 Community Council board member. An Engineer with Carestream Health, Mr. Langford uses his engineering background to analyze problems with the facts and data necessary to facilitate solutions.* 

• Rachel Sullivan-Nightengale is a long-time Saint Paul resident that is committed to equitable communities and working together to strengthen the city. Ms. Sullivan-Nightengale has a master’s degree in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) and is licensed to teach Adult Basic Education.   

• Constance Tuck recently retired as the Chief Equity and Development Officer for the Minnesota Department of Human Services. As an attorney, Ms. Tuck has extensive mediation experience as well as assisting government agencies develop relationships with the public. 

• Richard Heydinger (term begins January 1, 2018) is a retired Saint Paul resident with decades of community involvement and racial equity work, including as a board member of the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative, Ujamaa Place and Frogtown Farms.** 

“The city welcomes the new PCIARC Commissioners and looks forward to working with the diverse panel,” said Jessi Kingston, Director of HREEO. “Having a civilian review board with a wide range of experiences will help commissioners make informed decisions, and ensure all communities have a voice in evaluating police misconduct complaints and recommending policy changes to the chief of police.”   

Established in 1993, the Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission is essential to the trust between police and the communities they serve. The PCIARC does not replace civil or criminal court, but makes recommendations to the chief of police regarding potential discipline subject to state labor laws. The chief of police has the final authority over any disciplinary action imposed against a police officer. PCIARC Commissioners must demonstrate impartial decision making, attend the Civilian Police Academy and pass a FBI Criminal Justice Information Services background check.

For more information, visit www.stpaul.gov/pciarc.  

* Susan Trupiano and Bryan Langford are current PCIARC members.

**Richard Heydinger will replace Susan Trupiano when her term ends on December 31, 2017. Richard Heydinger was one of the 8 new PCIARC appointees on August 9, 2017.  

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