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Date: July 8, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Hedieh Khajavi, Human Resources Director
By: Kelsie B. Alonzo, Senior Human Resources Analyst | [email protected] Subject: Human Resources – Approve Proposed Class Specification for Police Commander.
Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the Human Resources Director that City Council approve the proposed class specification for Police Commander.
FUNDING
None required.
DISCUSSION
The Police Commander position is created to implement anticipated Department of Justice (DOJ) recommendations to enhance organizational efficiencies. The Police Commander plans, organizes, and oversees DOJ reform efforts for the Torrance Police Department, ensuring compliance with mandated changes, implementing policy improvements, and coordinating efforts to enhance transparency, accountability, and community trust. The proposed class specification for Police Commander is submitted for your review and approval.
ATTACHMENT
1. Proposed Class Specification for Police Commander
1 City of Torrance July 2025
Class Code: New New
At- Will
1 POLICE COMMANDER (AT-WILL)
Definition
Under general administrative direction, plans, organizes , and oversees Department of Justice (DOJ) reform efforts for the Torrance Police Department, ensuring compliance with mandated changes, implementing policy improvements, and coordinating efforts to enhance transparency, accountability, and community trust; and perform other work as required.
Distinguishing Characteristics
The Police Commander is distinguished from the Police Captain in that the incumbent is not responsible for a Police Bureau. Incumbent leads multidisciplinary teams focused on reform, community trust, and accountability. Primary administrative responsibilities include, but are not limited to, policy implementation, staff management, and providing general direction to achieve the mission and goals of assigned efforts. May act for the Chief of Police or the Assistant Police Chief.
Work is performed within a broad framework of general policy and requires creativity and resourcefulness to accomplish goals and objectives and to apply concepts, plans, and strategies that may require non-traditional methods to achieve established goals and objectives.
Work is reviewed for overall results.
Supervision Exercised/Received
Receives general direction from the Chief of Police or Assistant Police Chief ; provides direct supervision to Police Captains and Police Services Administrators, Police Lieutenants, professional and support staff.
Examples of Essential Duties
The following duties represent the principal job duties; however, they are not all inclusive.
• Develops, implement s, and monitor s policies and procedures to ensure compliance with California DOJ-mandated reforms, including but not limited to, those related to use of force, bias-free policing, and officer accountability.
• Oversees the integration of state-mandated police practices, including independent oversight mechanisms, de-escalation tactics, and alternative response models. • Ensures timely reporting and transparency measu res are met, including the collection and submission of use-of-force data, racial and identity profiling statistics, and public accountability reports.
• Implements risk management strategies to mitigate liability related to civil rights violations, use of force incidents, and misconduct complaints.
• Ensures adherence to AB 953 by overseeing data collection, reporting, and developing corrective action plans for identified disparities.
• Leads procedural justice initiatives that emphasize fairness, transparency, and community engagement in policing practices.
• Manages and oversee s Body-Worn Camera (BWC) compliance to ensure adherence to transparency requirements and review s BWC footage for training and misconduct investigations.
• Conducts policy reviews and updates to align department policies with California DOJ consent decrees, legal rulings, and national best practices.
2 ATTACHMENT 1
City of Torrance July 2025
Class Code: New New
At- Will
2 • Develops and implements mental health and crisis response training programs to reduce the risk of excessive force and improve law enforcement interactions with individuals in crisis. • Establishes and maintain s partnerships with civilian oversight bodies and advisory committees to foster community collaboration and input on police reforms. • Leads training initiatives focused on implicit bias, procedural justice, and community policing strategies required under DOJ reform directives.
• Coordinates with external monitors, auditors, and oversight bodies to assess department compliance with reform mandates and respond to any findings or recommendations. • Supervises and guides internal affairs investigations related to officer misconduct, ensuring alignment with California DOJ best practices for accountability and discipline. • Engages in community outreach efforts to build trust and establish partnerships with key stakeholders, including civil rights organizations, advocacy groups, and local leaders. • Implements strategies to enhance recruitment and hiring practices that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the department, in accordance with DOJ guidelines. • Develops and oversees early intervention systems to identify and address potential patterns of officer misconduct before they escalate.
• Monitors and evaluate s the effectiveness of DOJ reform initiatives, making data -driven recommendations for policy improvements and operational adjustments. • Manages the work of Department staff as it relates to the DOJ reform efforts including coaching staff for improvement and development, training, assigning, reviewing and evaluating work performance; coordinating activities, maintaining standards, allocating personnel, selecting new employees, acting on employee problems and recommending and implementing employee discipline.
• Attends various City, Council, staff and community meetings as required; prepares agenda items, reports and recommendations; and makes public presentations. • Coordinates Departmental activities with those of other City departments and outside agencies and organizations.
• Participates on internal and external committees, boards, and task forces, as appropriate.
Examples of Other Duties
The following duties represent duties that are generally performed by this position, but are not considered to be principal job duties:
• Acts as Department liaison with internal and external teams, committees, along with outside agencies including local and State officials, the community, and other interested groups. • Attends leadership and police management training to stay abreast of industry best practices.
• Perform related duties as required.
Qualification Guidelines
Knowledge of:
• Policies, principles, and practices of police administration and services, including but not limited to, operations, services, activities, and evolving trends of a comprehensive Police Department.
• Principles of Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS); technical and administrative phases of crime prevention, law enforcement, and related functions including investigation, patrol, traffic control and safety, records maintenance, supplies and equipment, care and custody of persons and property, training, and communications. 3 City of Torrance July 2025
Class Code: New New
At- Will
3 • Principles and techniques of program planning, implementation, and administration, including budgetary practices and controls.
• Federal, state and local laws, ordinances, codes and regulations, and recent court decisions affecting municipal law enforcement operations; policies and directives applicable including methods and techniques used in providing the full range of law enforcement and crime prevention services and activities, including investigation and identification, patrol, traffic control, crime prevention, records management and administration, care and custody of persons and property and evidence, use of firearms, dispatch and communications services and other modern police equipment.
• Use of firearms and other modern police equipment.
• Literature, periodicals, and other resources concerning current trends and legislature in policing.
• Management and supervisory principles and practices including the selection, training, evaluation, and discipline of employees; and laws governing employee relations matters, including the meet and confer process, grievance procedures and contract interpretation and administration.
• Principles of customer service and public relations.
• Project management methods and practices.
• Safety policies and safe work practices applicable to the work. • City ordinances and administrative rules and regulations affecting departmental operations and personnel matters.
• City and Department Mission including strategic goals and objectives. • General City operations.
Core Competencies:
• Action and Results Focus – Showing initiative and focusing on accomplishments • Business Process Analysis – Defining, assessing, and improving operational processes and workflow
• Decision Making – Exercising discretion and judgment in choosing courses of action • Delegating – Sharing responsibility, authority, and accountability • Fiscal Acumen – Budgeting and allocating monetary resources • Leadership – Guiding and encouraging others to accomplish a common goal • Managing Change – Addressing key factors that influence successful organizational change • Oral Communication – Engaging effectively in dialogue • Presentation Skills – Formally delivering information to groups • Professional and Technical Expertise – Applying technical subject matter to the job • Project Management – Ensuring projects are on-time, on-budget, and on-specifications • Relationship Building – Establishing rapport and maintaining mutually productive relationships
• Self-Management – Showing personal organization, self-discipline, and dependability. • Strategic Perspective – Evaluating immediate actions in context of achieving long range objectives
• Written Communication – Communicating effectively in writing License and/or Certificate
Must possess and maintain the following:
• A valid California Class C driver’s license.
• POST Advanced and Supervisory certificates.
4 City of Torrance July 2025
Class Code: New New
At- Will
4 Education and/or Experience
Any combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way of obtaining the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities is:
Bachelor’s degree in administration of justice, criminology, public or business administration, political science, or closely related field.
Eight years of progressively responsible supervisory and administrative experience in a comparable sized police department, three years of which shall have been equivalent in type and level to at least that of Lieutenant in the City of Torrance.
Special Requirements
Performance of the essential duties of this position includes the following physical demands and/or working conditions:
Work is primarily performed indoors in an office setting. Work involves frequently changing work priorities and the ability to meet deadlines. Requires the ability to exert a small amount of physical effort in sedentary to light work involving moving from one area of the office to another; requires sufficient hand/eye coordination to perform repetitive movements, such as computers and cellular devices. Tasks require sound and visual perception and discrimination, as well as oral communications ability.
When work is performed outdoors or on -scene at emergency incidents, there is full exposure to various weather and temperature conditions, loud noise levels, airborne particles, noxious odors, dust, grease, smoke, fumes, and gases. Must don protective appar el including bullet proof vest and safety shoes when responding to emergency scenes; use specialized law enforcement tools and equipment. Requires operation of a motor vehicle to respond to critical incidents, major crime scenes, and disasters and attend off-site meetings and training.
Work may be required on evenings and weekends as needed.
Career Ladder Information
Experience gained in this position may serve to meet the qualification guidelines for the Assistant Police Chief or Chief of Police position.
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