FRESNO, CA – Mayor Lee Brand introduced the new Independent Police Reviewer for the Office of Independent Review (OIR), John A. Gliatta, at a press conference this morning at City Hall. Gliatta comes to the City of Fresno from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, where he worked as a Crime Analyst for their Patrol Division.
Mr. Gliatta has an extensive history working in law enforcement having spent 27 years working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. While with the FBI, Gliatta worked as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Sacramento FBI office and also served as Assistant Inspector at the FBI headquarters in Washington D.C. where he handled compliance inspections as well as investigations of Special Agent-involved shooting and internal affairs allegations.
“We need to engage residents and bring them to the table to help build trust with the men and women who have sworn to protect them and the first step in that process was to hire a new Independent Police Reviewer, one that would live and work full time right here in Fresno,” said Mayor Brand. “I’m pleased to say that we’ve found the right man to help us.”
Mr. Gliatta is a graduate of West Virginia University Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, he also completed training at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy in Quantico, Virginia as well as FBI training in Diversity, Crisis Management, Ethics and Integrity and Civil Rights Investigations.
Mayor Brand also announced the members of his newly formed Citizens’ Public Safety Advisory Board. The nine-member board was created by the mayor to enhance trust, accountability and transparency and promote higher standards of service in the Fresno Police Department.
Members of the board were selected with the goal of reflecting the diversity of the community. Board members range in age from 26-71 years of age and come from six of the seven council districts. Debbie Hunsaker, a business owner, will act as president of the board. Hunsaker will be joined by Pastor Jim Parks, attorney Amy Guerra, retired bank executive Vernon Crowder, business consultant Avis Braggs, Fresno County Staff Analyst Ike Grewal, businesswoman Monica Diaz and students Michael Kou Vang and Clifford Williams III.
Among the duties of the board is to advise the OIR in helping to define, assess and further develop Community Policing citywide, monitoring and developing performance metrics to measure effectiveness of Community Policing, and reviewing all legally available information regarding policies, practices and procedures of the Police Department and make recommendations to the OIR.
Mayor Brand added, “Ultimately, both the Independent Police Reviewer and the Citizens Public Safety Advisory Board will work together to increase public confidence in our Police and will help make Fresno safer for our citizens as well as for the brave men and women who protect and serve us.”