Role and Function of the Police Permit Review Panel

The Police Permit Review Panel is responsible for issuing and overseeing permits for: Café Entertainment and Shows, Motion Picture Shows, and Picture Arcade. The processing of these permits and the investigation of complaints related to permitted businesses is conducted by Commission Investigation Division, which is led by a Lieutenant Commanding Officer and staffed by sworn and civilian investigators and clerical staff.

The Police Permit Review Panel was created through a change in the Los Angeles Municipal Code in 1992. The Panel is a subsidiary of the Board of Police Commissioners, and its purpose is to approve three types of police permits, rule on cases involving the discipline or revocation of police permits, approve stipulations in the settlement of disciplinary cases, and review and approve conditions placed on new and existing police permits.

The Panel members are appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council and serve staggered five-year terms. LAMC Section 102.13.1 defines the function and responsibility of the Panel. The Panel members include the Chairperson, Ryan Duckett, the Vice-Chairperson William Kil, Lara Yeretsian, Charley Mims, Rocio Gandara, Nahtahna Cabanes, and Maruf Islam.

The Panel meetings are held the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 1:00 p.m. In addition to the three permits noted above, the Panel considers Hearing Examiner reports regarding proposed discipline of permittees, or in extreme cases, revocation of police permits. In such cases, the Panel may vote to adopt the findings of fact and determination of issues brought forth by the Hearing Examiner, and may adopt, amend or not adopt the Hearing Examiner’s recommendations. Decisions of the Panel are final, except that persons whose police permits are suspended or revoked by the Panel may appeal the Panel’s decision to the Superior Court.

The creation of the Panel was recommended by the Independent (Christopher) Commission in 1992, which opined that the Board of Police Commissioners spent an inordinate amount of time on permit matters. The Christopher Commission felt that a subsidiary body was needed to handle such routine business, which would leave the Board more time to concentrate on broad policy issues. The Council approved creation of the Panel and approved a Commission Executive Assistant I position to manage its daily business. The Panel also receives assistance from its staff liaison, a Senior Management Analyst II, as well as assistance from staff of the Advocate Unit and Commission Investigation Division.

Appearing Before the Police Permit Review Panel

Members of the public are invited to address the Panel on any item of the agenda prior to action by the Panel on that specific item.
Members of the public may also address the Panel on any police permit related matter. Such comments will be entertained as the last item of regular business.

Comments from the public will be limited to two (2) minutes per individual for each item addressed, unless there are more than ten (10) comment cards for each item, in which case the public comment will be limited to one (1) minute per individual. The aforementioned limitation may be waived by the Chairperson of the Panel.