March 24, 2026
City Attorney's Office
CPRC
DATE: March 24, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Shannon Moore, Interim City Attorney
Alex Seraphin, Confidential Investigator
Subject:
Contract with Bill Whalen and Associates to Conduct
Confidential Investigations
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed $100,000 expenditure is included within the approved fiscal year 2025-2026 Community Police
Review Commission (CPRC) budget (Account String:
01121011-400201).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
November 11, 2024
May 27, 2025
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City Council previously approved a contract with Bill Whalen and Associates to conduct investigative work
following the resignation of the Confidential Investigator in November 2024. As of January 28, 2026, the City has
hired a full-time Confidential Investigator; however, there remains a need for the contractual interim investigator to assist with transitioning ongoing investigations.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: APPROVE a contract with Bill Whalen and Associates to conduct confidential investigations for the Community
Police Review Commission in an amount not to exceed
$100,000, for the term of February 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026 – Community Police Review Commission (Alex
Seraphin 510-620-5505/Shannon Moore 510-620-6509).
AGENDA
REPORT
March 24, 2026
DISCUSSION:
One of the major functions of the Community Police Review Commission (“CPRC”) is to receive and investigate complaints filed with the CPRC for alleged police misconduct involving serious bodily injury, unreasonable force, discrimination, sexual harassment, and/or sexual assault by an on-duty Richmond Police Officer or Officers, as further defined in Richmond Municipal Code Section 3.54.070.
In September 2024, the Confidential Investigative Appeals Officer resigned. On November 11, 2024, the City Council directed staff to retain a temporary investigator to address investigations received by the CPRC (Attachment 1). City staff, with support from CPRC’s attorney, Floy Andrews, issued a Request for Scope of Work, resulting in the selection of Bill Whalen & Associates to provide interim investigative services. Their contract was approved by the City Council on May 27, 2025 (Attachment 2). The City has since hired a permanent Confidential Investigator, who began on January 28, 2026, and is currently transitioning into the role, re-establishing the office, and preparing to provide ongoing support to the Police Commission and lead future investigations.
The CPRC currently has 36 pending complaints and continues to receive new complaints regularly. Bill Whalen & Associates has commenced work and is investigating numerous complaints. As the contract has now expired, it is essential to renew Bill Whalen & Associates’ contract to ensure the completion of pending investigations and a smooth transition of duties to the new Confidential Investigator. A review of the Police Commission’s budget reflects that the salary savings for the Confidential Investigator from July 1, 2025, through January 28, 2026, should be sufficient to cover the additional contract within the Fiscal Year 2025–26 budget.
The City Attorney’s Office and the CPRC request City Council approval to enter into a contract with Bill Whalen & Associates on behalf of the Community Police Review Commission for a term of February 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026, with a contract amount of $100,000 (Attachment 3). This will allow the completion of current investigations and facilitate the transition of responsibilities to the new Confidential Investigator.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – November 11, 2024, Agenda Staff Report to Approve Interim Investigator for CPRC
Attachment 2 – Bill Whalen and Associates Contract
Attachment 3 – Bill Whalen and Associates Contract (proposed)