Fresno is fortunate to have Oliver Baines heading its police reform commission. He has the temperament, brainpower, and experience to lead a group with divergent personalities (and expectations) in a successful effort. Most important: He knows what's at stake because he's lived it. "I think this is something that we're...
PD Commission’s Celedon Declines to Explain ‘Burn it Down’ Tweet
In its first public meeting Monday, the Fresno Commission on Police Reform's second-in-command, Sandra Celedon, declined to explain a controversial tweet after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Also in Politics 101: Police Reform commissioners want more time. Another Fresno police committee is still active. County...
Baines Casts Wide Community Net for Police Reform Commission Members
Oliver Baines says he welcomes having 36 members serving with him on the Fresno Commission on Police Reform. "Anyone that wanted to serve on this commission, I pretty much said yes to. I felt like it was such an important moment in Fresno's history," Baines said Friday at City Hall....
‘Father of Community Policing’ Is Advising Fresno Reform Commission
Lee P. Brown, who is among America's leading experts on community policing, is consulting with the Fresno Commission on Police Reform, the group's chairman, Oliver Baines, said Thursday. "This is a great win for Fresno," Baines said. "Dr. Brown is considered the father of community-based policing. We're truly fortunate to...
Fresno Reform Commission Will Focus on Community Policing: Baines
In the wake of calls for police reform, Fresno Black Lives Matter supporters and police leaders agree that the formation of a Commission on Police Reform is a good idea. After the Fresno State chapter of the NAACP presented a workshop at Thursday's city council meeting, council president Miguel Arias...
Hundreds Gather at Northeast Fresno Vigil for George Floyd
As violent protests dotted Minneapolis and the rest of the country after the death of George Floyd, nearly 200 peaceful protesters gathered for a vigil Friday night in northeast Fresno. "Black lives matter! It bears repeating," organizer Karen Polnitz told the crowd, most wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Video of...
Opinion: Council Salaries Should Attract Fresno's Best & Brightest
Fresno is California's fifth-largest city. Its budget this year is $1.15 billion. But despite all of our hard work and steady population growth, we remain a city with serious challenges — and a huge reservoir of untapped potential. To move Fresno ahead and make it the city we all want...
Fresno City Council to Vote on 23% Raises in Lame Duck Session
Oliver Baines hopes to give two of his colleagues and two incoming councilmen a parting gift — a 23% raise. Baines is headed into the last month of his council tenure. He is termed out, with his service concluding Jan. 8, 2019. “It’s long overdue. I’ve had the privilege and...
Baines Reflects on Eight Years at City Hall
Oliver Baines admits just because he and his colleagues hold the title of council member doesn’t make them smarter than anyone else. “We're really just some pretty average folks that decided to run for office and ran a campaign good enough to win. So, I don't want to make it...
Arias and Hill Share District 3's Values. Who Will Voters Pick?
Tate Hill and Miguel Arias, the two men running for Fresno City Council District 3, have much in common. Both are 40-years old, Democrats, and share a similar vision for Fresno. Both served on many boards and are active in the politics of west Fresno. And both share common experiences...