After the death of George Floyd sparked local advocacy, Fresno State NAACP created a list of demands for the City of Fresno Councilmembers, prompting the launch of the Fresno Police Reform Commission. Fresno EOC Street Saints Director, Brian King, and Board Commissioner, Angie Isaak, were appointed to the commission by Fresno Mayor Lee Brand and City Council Members, with Board Commissioner Oliver Baines leading the effort.
“Everything I’ve done to fight injustice has led to my position on the Fresno Commission for Police Reform. I marched in the 1960s when Martin Luther King was assassinated, in the 1970s with the injustice that was done to the Black Panthers in Chicago, in the 1980s when the Chicago mayor wanted to shut down the health clinics in our communities, and I marched when Trayvon Martin was killed in 2012. I’m going to continue to march, and I’m proud to sit on this commission so we can make change happen in Fresno,” said Brian King, Fresno EOC Street Saints Director.
As a former gang member, now dedicated to helping youth unlock their full potential, King brings knowledge from his time growing up in poverty in Chicago’s southside and his work with community partners on gang-prevention initiatives. With Street Saints, he has helped develop programs for youth to build resiliency, promoting healthy choices in education, social situations, family, and employment.
The 37-member commission is a diverse group of residents, community advocates, and experts in public safety. Their role is to provide recommendations and suggestions on Police Reform to the Fresno City Council. For more information on the Fresno Police Reform Commission, please read this statement from the City of Fresno.