Office of Inspector General
The Police Department ("OPD") currently has an inspector general who provides the Chief of Police ("Chief') with analysis of the OPD's policies and procedures. The Chief and the City Administrator supervise and oversee this inspector general.
This measure would establish a new Office of Inspector General ("OIG") outside of the OPD to investigate and review the City's handling of police misconduct. The Police Commission ("Commission") would hire the Inspector General and could remove the Inspector General for cause. The OIG would have the authority to review police misconduct-related claims, lawsuits, settlements, complaints, and investigations involving the OPD and the Community Police Review Agency ("CPRA"). Subject to limitations, this measure would allow the OIG to request
and review OPD and CPRA records, including personnel and investigative records.
Under this measure, the OIG would also audit the OPD's compliance with the tasks described in the settlement agreement in Delphine Allen, et al. , v. City of Oakland, et al., also known as the Riders case. This audit would address improvements in policing standards, the public's access to the complaint process, reporting and investigations of police misconduct, training and supervision, and identifying at-risk behaviors by police officers.
The OIG would provide written reports regarding its reviews and audits to the Commission and the City Council.
Police Commission
Currently, the Commission reviews OPD policies and practices and oversees the CPRA investigations into police misconduct. The City Attorney currently selects and oversees the Commission's attorneys.
This measure would allow the Commission to:
• require the Chief to respond to requests for information; and
• hire its own attorneys independent of the City Attorney's Office.
This measure would also allow the City Council to suspend Commission members for cause.
Community Police Review Agency
The CPRA currently receives and reviews complaints of police misconduct. It must make reasonable efforts to complete its investigations within 180 days. The City Attorney currently
selects and oversees the CPRA' s attorneys.
This measure would require the CPRA to complete its investigations within 250 days unless the CPRA Director finds that there .are exceptional circumstances requiring more time. This measure would allow the CPRA Director to inform the Commission about OPD employees who have interfered with the CPRA' s investigations.
This measure would also require the CPRA Director to issue written findings and proposed discipline within 48 hours of the CPRA' s completion of investigations into severe uses of force, sexual misconduct, or untruthfulness.
This measure would provide the CPRA with a budget to hire its own attorneys independent of the City Attorney's Office.