CITY OF RIVERSIDE
COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
3900 Main Street, 7th Floor, Riverside, CA
(951) 826-5509 | Fax: (951) 826-2568 | RiversideCA.gov/CPRC
1 MISSION
The mission of the Community Police Review Commission is to promote public confidence in the professionalism and accountability of the sworn staff of the Riverside Police Department (RPD). The CPRC accomplishes this mission by conducting an independent review of officer-involved death (OID) cases and citizen complaints. The CPRC or the CPRC Manager may request independent investigation services to obtain further information about OIDs or complaints. The CPRC may recommend changes in RPD policy and maintains community relationships through continuous public outreach efforts.
PURPOSE
The Mayor and City Council nominate and appoint all nine Commissioners of the CPRC. In order to fairly represent the City, that membership is distributed among all wards of the City. Commissioners serve four-year terms and may only serve two terms for a total of eight years. By ensuring an independent and thorough review of all OID and complaint cases brought before the Commission, the CPRC is able to advise the Mayor and City Council on all police and community relations issues. Case review findings and suggestions are also shared with the City Manager and Police Chief.
Although ensuring the Mayor and those mentioned above stay informed, the CPRC strives to make the greatest impact while serving the citizens of Riverside. The CPRC is tasked with ensuring good relations between the Riverside Police Officers and the community they serve. The Commission’s efforts serve to increase public trust in the Riverside Police Department. It seeks to provide the public with the assurance that any allegations of misconduct lodged against a sworn officer will be fairly and thoroughly reviewed.
Through public outreach efforts, the CPRC provides a forum whereby community members can express their opinions and seek answers about the Police Department. Complaints, concerns or suggestions can immediately be shared with the Police Chief and appropriate staff thereby improving the quality of service provided by the Police Department. In addition, the CPRC educates the public on the purpose of the Commission.
11 Figure 2 Illustrates the 60 allegations logged from the 28 cases reviewed by the Commission. 96 COMPLAINT CASE REVIEW
In 2025 the Commission reviewed and closed a total of 28 complaint cases containing 60 allegations.
At years end, there were four cases with completed investigations remaining for the Commission to review.
“Reviewed” refers to the cases for which the Commission received the investigation case files and made findings in Closed Session review.
Below, Figure 1 identifies the cases reviewed in 2025 vs. the cases remaining for the Commission’s review by the end of 2025.
1 Figure 3 provides data comparing the complaint case findings of the 60 allegations reviewed by the Riverside Police Department (RPD) and Community Police Review Commission (CPRC). Each of the entities independently reach findings on allegations.
2025 COMPLAINT COMPARISON FINDINGS
RPD VS. CPRC
FINDINGS AND DISPOSITIONS OF PERSONNEL COMPLAINTS:
Sustained: When the investigation discloses sufficient evidence to establish that the act occurred and that it constituted misconduct.
Not Sustained: When the investigation discloses that there is insufficient evidence to sustain the complaint or fully exonerate the employee.
Unfounded: When the investigation discloses that the alleged act(s) did not occur or did not involve department personnel.
Exonerated: When the investigation discloses that the alleged act occurred, but that the act was justified, lawful and/or proper.
Incomplete: A matter in which the complaining party either refuses to cooperate or becomes unavailable after diligent follow-up investigation. At the discretion of the assigned supervisor and the Internal Afairs Bureau, such matters need not be documented as personnel complaints, but may be further investigated, depending on the seriousness of the complaint and the availability of sufficient information.
Previous Administrative Review: A matter in which the actions of the employee(s) have been determined to be within policy in a previous Supervisor Administrative Review or other administrative investigation. If no further information is provided or discovered, beyond the facts already known at the time of the Previous Administrative Review, the Department supervisor, with approval of his or her commanding officer and the Internal Affairs Lieutenant, may classify the allegation with a finding of Previous Administrative Review.
Inquiry: If an uninvolved supervisor determines that a citizen is merely requesting clarification of a policy or procedure, or the alleged misconduct or improper job performance, even if true, would not constitute a violation of law or Department policy or procedure, the supervisor, with approval of his or her commanding officer and the Internal Affairs Lieutenant, may classify the matter as an inquiry and need not take a complaint.
Other Judicial Review: This classification is intended to address two types of complaints: Civil Matters or Court Proceedings.
Frivolous: Complaints that are totally and completely without merit, or which are made for the sole purpose of harassing a police employee may be classified with a finding of Frivolous as approved by the Internal Affairs Lieutenant or a chief officer. 3
CASE FINDING VARIATIONS
Of the 60 allegations reviewed, 7 case findings between the Riverside Police Department and the Community Review Commission varied.
OFFICER-INVOLVED DEATH(S) (OID)
The Riverside City Charter outlines the authority of the Community Police Review Commission to review and investigate officer-involved deaths. Charter Section 810, empowers the Commission “to review and
investigate the death of any individual arising out of or in connection with actions of a sworn police
officer, regardless of whether a complaint regarding such death has been filed.” Immediately following a death arising out of or in connection with the actions of a sworn police officer,
a criminal investigation is initiated. The Riverside Police Department conducts this investigation,
which includes the collection of physical evidence, interviews with involved parties and witnesses, and the preparation and review of reports from all involved officers.
In 2025, the Commission closed one officer-involved death case and opened another, which remains under review.
Information regarding OID Cases can be found on the Commission's website below:
RiversideCA.gov/CPRC
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
The Community Police Review Commission office receives complaints, inquiries, and other communications related to police matters by phone, letter, and email. During calendar year 2025, the office received 51 emails and 92 voicemail messages. Of these contacts, matters were reported to the Riverside Police Department as appropriate, and eight resulted in the submission of formal complaints.
2025 COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION
Steven Bell - Chair, Ward 3
Violet Gutierrez - Vice Chair, Citywide
Jeffery Ward, Ward 1
City Support Staff:
Ruby Leann Castillo, CPRC Manager - Eric Detmer, RPD Captain - Debra Cook, Sr. Deputy City Attorney Frank Hauptmann, CPRC Consultant
Vacant, Ward 2
Robert Lundy III, Ward 4
William Hundley II, Ward 5
Natasha Ferguson, Ward 6
Charles Dillon, Ward 7
Eileen Teichert, Citywide
CASE REVIEW
As part of the case review process, Commissioners review documents, audio files, and video files related to officer complaints and officer involved death cases. Over the 2025 calendar year, Commissioners contributed over 944 hours of time reviewing documents and files.
COMMISSION OUTREACH
The Commission continues to maintain its Mission and Purpose through ongoing Community outreach efforts. The Commission's objective is to promote harmony, trust, and confidence between the residents of Riverside and the Riverside Police Department. Commissioners and staff continue to attend a wide range of meetings and events in efforts to enhance community cohesiveness and communication between the citizens of Riverside and the sworn police personnel serving the public.
The Commission's 2025 outreach activities included:
• RPO Ride-Along • Community Meetings • Chief's Luncheon • Nacole Conference • Board and Commissions Banquet
TRAINING, SEMINARS & CONFERENCES
Training presentations are generally conducted during the open session of the Commission's regular meeting, and members of the public are encouraged to attend. In addition, Commissioners participate in training classes, seminars, and conferences outside of regular meeting presentations.
The following list includes, but is not limited to, training presentations, seminars, and conferences attended by the Commission and/or individual Commissioners during 2025:
• Board and Commission Training
• City Clerk's Office - Nuts and Bolts Training
for Chairs and Vice Chairs
• Shoot/Don't Shoot Scenarios
• Taser Use
• De-escalation Techniques and Process
• Best Practices for conducting Traffic Stops
AD HOC COMMITTEE
Ad hoc committees are typically created to handle specific, short term needs. In 2025, the CPRC established two Ad Hoc Committees. The Bylaw, Policies, and Procedures Ad Hoc Committee, chaired by Eileen Teichert with Steven Bell and Jeffrey Ward, was tasked with reviewing and updating the document to ensure alignment with current best practices. The Committee developed recommended revisions, which were adopted by the CPRC in March 2026.
The Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) Ad Hoc Committee, chaired by Jeffrey Ward, with member Eileen Teichert and Robert Lundy Ill, reviewed RIPA data and developed policy recommendations for the Riverside Police Department. The Committee presented its recommendations to the Chief of Police in March 2026, with ongoing discussion and consideration of proposed actions.