Robert McConnell Archives - Open Vallejo

A woman stands outside near a wooden post, wearing a striped scarf and green jacket. The background shows a garden with soft, natural lighting.

Vallejo’s next mayor pledges forensic audit and ‘meaningful’ reforms

by Anna Bauman November 19, 2024November 19, 2024

Vallejo Mayor Robert McConnell speaks passionately into a microphone during a public meeting, seated among other council members at a curved desk. Two women and two men, including a man in glasses and a blue suit, are focused on the proceedings. The setting appears formal, with the panel framed by wood paneling and computer monitors.

Vallejo mulls DEI position following police chief hiring controversy

by Anna Bauman September 25, 2024September 25, 2024

A Vallejo police officer gestures while holding a gun in one hand, his uniform and vehicle illuminated by the warm light of late afternoon. The background shows a sign for Kyles Temple A.M.E. Zion Church.

As Vallejo police force shrinks, 911 response times soar

by Anna Bauman September 23, 2024January 28, 2025

Interior view of a city council meeting showing council members and staff seated in a semi-circle facing a person speaking at a desk. They are behind desks with nameplates and microphones, in a wood-paneled room with an American flag to the side.

Vallejo narrows new city manager selection to two

by Anna Bauman April 26, 2024September 23, 2024

A middle-aged Black man wearing a suit sits to the right of a blonde woman who appears to be in her sixties. She is wearing glasses, a black top and a brown sweater. Both individuals are seated at a wooden city council dais. An American flag hangs behind them.

Vallejo officials’ handling of evidence destruction probe marked by confusion, concern

by Laurence Du Sault and Geoffrey King February 22, 2023December 23, 2023

Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams is sworn into office under the gaze of a city surveillance camera on Nov. 12, 2019. A BuzzFeed News investigation found that Vallejo was one of more than 1,800 public entities to use a facial recognition technology so powerful, it is the subject of numerous lawsuits and several government probes. A Vallejo police spokesperson said the department’s command staff were unaware of its use prior to being contacted for comment by Open Vallejo.

News

Vallejo police secretly tested ‘dystopian’ facial recognition tool

by Brian Howey April 13, 2021October 27, 2023