Agenda Item #15.2
For Council Meeting of: June 4, 2024
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARASKESHIA SMITH, CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT: INDEPENDENT POLICE AUDITOR ANNUAL REPORT
AGENDA ACTION: REPORT
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the City Manager that the Council receive a presentation by the OIR Group LLC of the annual report of Santa Rosa Police Department oversight. This is for information and no action will be taken.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The OIR Group LLC (OIR) will provide a presentation to summarize the annual report of the oversight of the Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD). OIR will present their findings for their second annual report. Council will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback to staff.
BACKGROUND
On November 30, 2021, the City entered into contract with the OIR Group to become an independent auditor of the Santa Rosa Police Department. The OIR group reports directly to the City Manager and reviews internal investigations, conducts audits of policies, practices, and records, and conducts community outreach.
OIR’s Scope of Work includes, but is not limited to:
Reviewing SRPD internal investigations and citizen complaints, which includes a review of and participation in all administrative investigations and officer-involved shootings.
Auditing SRPD misconduct complaints, discipline process and policies, procedures, and training. The audit is designed to ensure the best equitable policing environment.
Producing an annual written report summarizing the evaluations of internal investigations and suggestions for improvements to policies, procedures, and training. The report will be made available in both English and Spanish.
Conducting community outreach with various city and community stakeholders. In addition, there will be community meetings that will be facilitated by the Chief’s Community Ambassador Team.
Contracting with an equity consultant to demonstrate understanding in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Reporting to the City Manager regularly regarding any recommendations for improvement.
Presenting the annual auditors report to the Public Safety Subcommittee and City Council for discussion. The city will provide Spanish-language translation at these meetings.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
On November 30, 2021, the City Council by Resolution No. 2021-209 approved the professional services agreement with the OIR Group LLC.
On May 24, 2022, Council held a Study Session to receive an overview of police oversight, which included a review of best practices for law enforcement agencies, a review of the scope of work of the City’s independent police auditor, and a look at some models from other agencies.
On June 20, 2023, the Council received a presentation by the OIR Group LLC of the 2022 annual report of Santa Rosa Police Department oversight.
ANALYSIS
OIR’s annual independent police auditor report analyzed fifty-six incidents of alleged misconduct investigated by SRPD in 2023. Fifteen of those investigations were generated internally, meaning SRPD management identified a concern in performance or behavior and initiated an investigation into that conduct. In all cases, the process included more than just a review of the final product. It allowed OIR to ask questions and provide input from the start of the complaint process all the way through to the final disposition.
In addition to examining SRPD investigations into complaints, the report details information and findings related to SRPD’s force review process, critical incident review, implicit bias training, inRESPONSE, and the Chief’s Community Advisory Team. The report also evaluates specific department policies, procedures and processes that were in place in 2023. As a result, OIR made six specific department wide recommendations for SRPD to examine. Below is a summary of the six OIR recommendations listed in their annual report:
SRPD should continue exploring approaches to providing complainants with detailed information about the nature of its investigative work and the basis for its findings.
SRPD should give continued focus to non-disciplinary interventions that may be appropriate in the aftermath of a complaint investigation and should document its responsive actions within the case materials.
SRPD should continue to work with supervisors and officers to enhance the objectivity and effectiveness of subject interviews in the aftermath of a force incident.
SRPD leadership should re-emphasize and clarify its expectation that the supervisory review of force incidents should focus on learning opportunities and performance improvements as well as compliance with policy.
SRPD should amend its database template to promote a wider range of issue-spotting and responsive action by reviewing supervisors.
SRPD should take an inclusive approach to enlisting the full "Major Incident Review Board" process, in order to ensure the thorough and constructive scrutiny of a range of significant force events.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of this action does not have a fiscal impact on the General Fund.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This action is exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) and 15378 in that there is no possibility that the implementation of this action may have significant effects on the environment, and no further environmental review is required.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not Applicable
NOTIFICATION
Not Applicable
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – OIR Group LLC Annual Report
PRESENTER
Maraskeshia Smith, City Manager
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR REPORT
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