Agenda Item #15.1
For Council Meeting of: July 22, 2025
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 third 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 OIR to become an independent auditor of the Santa Rosa Police Department. OIR 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 June 23, 2023, OIR presented the 2022 Annual Report, File ID #23-0478.
On June 4, 2024, OIR presented the 2023 Annual Report, File ID #24-0425.
ANALYSIS
OIR’s annual independent police auditor report analyzed sixty-two incidents of alleged misconduct investigated by SRPD in 2024. Eleven of those investigations were generated internally which means 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, police pursuits, 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 2024. As a result, OIR made five specific department wide recommendations for SRPD to examine. Below is a summary of the five OIR recommendations listed in their annual report:
Recommendation 1: SRPD should continue to prioritize enhancements to its standard force review process, especially through training and reinforcement of expectations for supervisors at all levels regarding thorough, holistic evaluations that are well-documented and include confirmation of relevant follow-up.
Recommendation 2: SRPD should take advantage of its impending re-design of computerized force tracking to create specific guidelines that further standardize detailed reporting and analysis after a force incident.
Recommendation 3: SRPD should look for ways to maximize the influence of its Training Cadre in assessing and improving officer performance in high-risk areas of operation.
Recommendation 4: SRPD should consider ways to strengthen officer training with regard to the PIT maneuver and the use of spike strips in the vehicle pursuit context.
Recommendation 5: SRPD should continue to prioritize the comprehensive review of vehicle pursuit incidents and should extend its willingness to address performance that deviates from policy and expectations with formal discipline when warranted.
FISCAL IMPACT
Not Applicable.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The Council finds that pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378, the proposed action is not a “project” subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it does not have a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. In the alternative, the proposed action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the project may have a significant effect on the environment.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not Applicable.
NOTIFICATION
Not Applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – OIR Group LLC Annual Report
PRESENTERS
Michael Gennaco, OIR Group
Stephen Connolly, OIR Group
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR REPORT
PAGE 3 OF 3