LA Council Confirms New Appointment To Police Commission

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles City Council voted 13-0 Wednesday to approve the appointment of Heather Aubry to the Board of Police Commissioners for a three-year term, ending June 30, 2029.

Mayor Karen Bass appointed Aubry to fill the vacancy on the board created by the departure of Teresa Sanchez-Gordon. During Wednesday's vote, council members Ysabel Jurado and Monica Rodriguez were absent.

The five-member police commission provides oversight and oversees policy for the Los Angeles Police Department.

Aubry, a former city attorney, retired after 31 years of service. She said she was grateful for the opportunity to serve the city in a different capacity.

Born and raised in South L.A. and Inglewood, she attended public schools and earned degrees from UC Berkeley and UCLA School of Law. After passing the Bar exam, Aubry worked in the legal department of a local labor union before joining the city.

"I want to serve because I see it as a way to continue my dedication to public service in an area I care deeply about — good policing and public trust in the police department," Aubry said.

Aubry, daughter of the late Larry Aubry, a lifelong champion of civil rights and advocate for improving conditions for Black people and other groups, said she hopes to improve police-community relations, an issue that was important to her father.

In prior weeks, Aubry said she spoke to police officers and heard from them about many pressing issues.

As a board member, she said she will work to address the department's use-of-force, expand unarmed crisis response teams, and recruitment and retention.

"All communities in the city have a right to expect timely, high- quality service from the LAPD, which is core to the department's mission of protecting lives and property," Aubry said.

Council members Curren Price, Heather Hutt and Marqueece Harris-Dawson spoke in support of Aubry's appointment.

"The legacy of her family is alive and well," Price said. "Council President, Heather and I both remember her father, Larry Aubry, fondly called the Godfather of South L.A. because of his activism throughout Los Angeles."

"The influence of the Aubrys should not be lost on the council," Price added. "Heather's life experiences and time working for the city both serve as phenomenal qualifiers for a commission of such high esteem."

Hutt said she believed Aubry will bring her "best mind" to the table when making decisions for public safety.

Harris-Dawson added, "I know you remember the legacy of your entire family and just keep bringing that ethic of reform and constitutional policing and moving this department forward, so that we can have a safe and effective public safety response that involves our public."

City News Service