Two members of the Berkeley Police Accountability Board, or PAB, announced their joint resignation today, citing concerns of “reversals” of policy recommendations and difficulties “accessing essential records.”  

Kitty Calavita and Juliet Leftwich’s resignations were sent in a statement to Berkeley City Council members and Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii. 

“Because we believe our continued efforts to fulfill the mission of the PAB will be in vain, we regrettably must resign,” Calavita and Leftwich wrote. “We do not come to this decision lightly. We have enormous respect for our PAB colleagues.”

The statement points to recent incidents that Calavita and Leftwich said are undoing reforms achieved by the Police Review Commission, including a “last-minute” draft presented by the Berkeley Police Department in December 2025 that had “draconian changes to the use of force policy,” such as the removal of language regarding sanctity of life. 

Calavita and Leftwich also cite the BPD’s texting scandal, in which racist messages sent between officers in 2019 and 2020 surfaced, which they describe as “one of the most shocking incidents during (their) tenure.”Calavita and Leftwich further allege that the PAB was initially not even allowed to read the final report of the incident. They claim that, after months of negotiations, the PAB was ultimately allowed to read the report and listen to officer interviews; however, they allege that the board’s recommendations were “summarily dismissed” by the council.

The board now consists of four members, down from the previous six. Five of the nine total seats are now vacant. 

“(The concerns raised by Calavita and Leftwich) are a warning sign- and an opportunity- for Berkeley to decide whether it will be a place where oversight is symbolic, or a place where independent, community- rooted accountability is allowed to do its job,” said Director of Police Accountability Hansel Aguilar in a press release from the PAB and the Berkeley  Office of the Director of Police Accountability.

BPD and the City Manager’s Office have not responded to a request for comment as of press time. 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.