City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: INFORMATION REPORTS
Lead Department: City Manager
Meeting Date: November 10, 2025
Report #:2509-5175
TITLE
Independent Police Auditor's (IPA) Report of Review of Investigations Between December 2024 and May 2025 and Police Department Use of Force Report for the Same Period
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Since 2006, Palo Alto has utilized an Independent Police Auditor (IPA) to conduct secondary review of certain investigations of uniformed Police Department personnel and provide related services. Since the inception of the independent police auditing program, the City has contracted with the Office of Independent Review (OIR Group), to provide these services. The following report transmits the Independent Police Auditor (IPA) Report on Investigations Completed as of May 31, 2025. For reference, the prior IPA report was published April 21, 2025 as an Informational Item1. The Police Department’s website lists all past Independent Police Auditor Reports, here2. Attachment A contains the current IPA report for investigations completed as of May 2025. Per Council direction, the Police Department also shares use of force information through a report provided alongside each IPA report, included here as Attachment B and covers the time period of December – May 2025. The Police Department’s responses to the IPA report recommendations are included here as Attachment C.
Consistent with standing practice, this report is issued as informational for the Council and the public. In light of heavy Council agendas through the end of the year and the straightforward contents of this report, staff has not scheduled a study session with OIR Group at this time.
Should Council members wish to schedule a study session in early 2026, please advise the City Manager.
1 Independent Police Auditor's (IPA) Report of Review of Investigations as of November 2024 and Police Department Use of Force Report for July - November 2024 https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/portal/item/?meetingItemId=85a7fb9e-a7ed-45eb-a6ae-2b02ade31e02 2 Palo Alto Police Department Accountability Webpage:
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Police/Accountability Independent Police Auditor Reports Webpage: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Police/Accountability/Independent-Police-Auditor
Process to File a Complaint to the IPA
The public can find more information about filing a complaint through the link here:
www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Police/Accountability/Employee-Complaint Complaints may also be directed to the Independent Police Auditor as follows:
Contact: Mike Gennaco
Phone: (323) 821-0586
Email: [email protected]
Or mail to: OIR Group 1443 E. Washington Blvd., #234 Pasadena, CA 91104
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
The OIR Group is already contracted with the City and this report did not incur any additional expenses.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The City’s Independent Police Auditor activities are not a project under section 15378(b)(25) of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines (administrative activities that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Independent Police Auditor's Report - Review of Investigations as of May 2025 Attachment B: Police Department Use of Force Report for December 2024 – May 31, 2025 Attachment C: Police Department Responses to IPA Report, October 2025 APPROVED BY:
Ed Shikada, City Manager