City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: STUDY SESSION
Lead Department: City Manager
Meeting Date: August 24, 2026
Report #:2606-6456
TITLE
Semi-Annual City Council Discussion with the Independent Police Auditor (IPA)
RECOMMENDATION
This Study Session is a semi-annual opportunity for City Council discussion with the Independent Police Auditor. There is no recommended action.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
This is the study session with the City’s Independent Police Auditor (IPA) from the representatives of the OIR Group, the City’s contracted consultant for the Independent Police Auditor function. It is the first discussion in this calendar year. The previous discussion took place with the City Council in 2025.
Discussion Purpose: In the amended contract scope with the OIR group, it states the following related to the IPA meetings with the City Council:
Beginning in the second half of 2021, CONSULTANT shall meet with the City Council two times per year to discuss trends in criminal justice and policing, policy and training matters, recommendations made by CONSULTANT, and other City Council concerns.
CONSULTANT’S conferences with City Council are not for the purpose of elaborating on published reviews of specific incidents and shall not include discussion of personnel matters prohibited by law. Semi-annual conferences shall be scheduled after publication of the CONSULTANT’S report, according to availability of City Council and the CONSULTANT.
Consistent with the description above, the City Council discussion with the IPA is based on City Council agenda availability and is not focused on the most recent report from OIR Group.
However, for ease in reference, the most recent OIR Group report was issued as an Informational Report in the June 15, 2026 City Council packet.1 Additionally, the City Council, on June 1, 2026 asked the next IPA discussion to also include a discussion with the IPA about an independent assessment scope related to Flock automated license plate recognition (ALPR).2 The June report shared that the goal of the IPA’s review will be to conduct an operational assessment of Flock’s policies and procedures around security, transparency, sharing compliance, and reporting of system features and changes. In addition, though the Police Department (PAPD) has training, a surveillance use policy, 30-day data retention period, and a requirement of an MOU for each agency with which it shares data, the IPA will also assess PAPD’s internal policies and procedures with an eye toward areas where it may be able to do even better. The City Council asked for more information about the scope and asked to discuss this with the IPA at this study session. OIR reviewed the June City Council meeting and heard the public comments. Attachment A provides OIR‘s proposed assessment topics. OIR will begin the work identified in the scope of work after the City Council discussion, incorporating any agreed upon scope changes.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
No additional funds are needed for this study session.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The discussion with the City Council is an opportunity for the public to also share feedback related to issues covered by the IPA. Members of the public interested in this discussion may have submitted comments to the City Council inbox for consideration.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Not a project.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: OIR Group Review of Palo Alto ALPRs - Proposed Topics APPROVED BY:
Ed Shikada, City Manager
1 June 15, 2026 staff report: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/police- department/accountability/ipa-reports/november-2025-independent-police-auditor’s-report-and-papd-use-of- force-report.pdf
2 June 1, 2026 City Council meeting, Item #2:
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=18727