The Public Safety Committee unanimously confirmed Dr. Daniel Tabor as a Police Commission member (3–0, two absent). Tabor emphasized oversight, training, de-escalation and community partnerships during an extended statement and Q&A with committee members.

Family members and advocates urged the Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission to seek an independent investigation and public community briefings after the December 2024 death of Noe Rodriguez, saying officers’ statements conflict with full body‑camera footage and naming Officer Luis Casillas among those involved.

What a difference a near-decade makes. Back in 2017, the main concerns raised by New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board was that officers were routinely violating the right to record police...

Residents alleged unauthorized recordings, surveillance and favoritism by Hamtramck police; the council opened a new-business discussion on a police oversight committee, agreed to form a three-member subcommittee to draft ordinance language and seek legal and nonprofit guidance.

At its Dec. 17 meeting the San Rafael Police Advisory Committee heard two presentations on transparency and disclosure law, including practical steps for community engagement and legal triggers for personnel-record release under California law.

Following public testimony and sharply differing trustee comments, the board directed a third-party after-action review and asked the Citizen Police Oversight Committee to evaluate the Halloween crowd-control incident; Chief Johnson described a three-hour mutual-aid response after a firearm was discharged and said about 18 outside officers assisted

By Nigel Duara, CalMatters A warning that people see before filing complaints against Los Angeles police officers creates a barrier to free speech, the California Supreme Court ruled today in a long-running lawsuit over the language. The high court ruled 6-1 in favor of the city of Los Angeles and against the union that represents its police officers in finding that the admonishment describing penalties for filing false has the potential to deter “citizens from filing truthful (or at least not knowingly false) complaints of police misconduct”. The warning exhibits “numerous characteristics that, considered together, sufficiently burden a protected form of speech — namely, truthful (or at least well-intentioned) complaints of police misconduct — so as to warrant heightened constitutional scrutiny,” Associate Justice Joshua Groban wrote in the majority opinion. The ruling turned on a 1995 law that sought to create consequences for false claims against police officers: Anyone filing a complaint against an officer could face criminal charges if they knowingly sign a false report. At the LAPD, officials went further, demanding that complainants affirm, in bold font and all capital letters, that they understand the potential penalties. “**IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO MAKE A COMPLAINT THAT YOU KNOW TO BE FALSE** ,” the LAPD form reads. “**IF YOU MAKE A COMPLAINT AGAINST AN OFFICER KNOWING THAT IT IS FALSE, YOU CAN BE PROSECUTED ON A MISDEMEANOR CHARGE.** ” The court found that the warning is biased in favor of the police because witnesses who make false statements in defense of an accused officer would face no charges for lying. “While the Legislature had a legitimate and significant interest in remedying the harmful effects of abusive false claims of police misconduct, (the law) is not narrowly tailored to meet those objectives,” Groban wrote. “Instead, the statute establishes an ill-defined, asymmetrical criminal provision that is accompanied by an unusual admonition requirement.” The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing LAPD officers, argued that the form is constitutional and necessary to prevent false complaints that would tie up an officer’s career. The decision reversed a California appellate court ruling in this case and a 2002 California Supreme Court decision in a related case, both of which agreed with the police union that the warning passed constitutional muster. California law is now in line with multiple federal court rulings, which found that the warning violates the First Amendment. “It takes tremendous courage for victims and witnesses of police misconduct to come forward and seek justice and accountability,” attorney Matt Nguyen of the firm Cooley LLP, who represented civil rights nonprofits at oral argument in the case, said in a written statement. “A resounding majority of the California Supreme Court made clear today that speaking truth to power is a fundamental right protected by the First Amendment.” In a dissent, Associate Justice Goodwin Liu said the law and the warning are “no more unconstitutional than laws that make it a crime to commit perjury, file a false police report, submit a false document to a public agency, or lie to a government official concerning an official matter.” This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

During public comment, Tommy Hart alleged that a now-deceased man had accused a Chesapeake police lieutenant of wrongdoing and urged the city to appoint an independent commission to oversee the police department; Hart described efforts to report alleged misconduct and said investigators had been obstructed.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will expand access by oversight officials to confidential law enforcement records, enacting legislation backed by family members of people harmed by L.A. County sheriff's deputies.

Residents express opposition to amending police oversight powers during city council meeting.

Council discusses amendments related to LIPOC's ordinance and adjusts second reading date.

Merrick Bobb, one of the godfathers of the modern police oversight movement in Los Angeles, Seattle and beyond, has died. He was 79.

Merrick Bobb, one of the godfathers of the modern police oversight movement in Los Angeles, Seattle and beyond, has died. He was 79.

Volunteers express interest in critical incident cases while raising bias concerns with police monitor.

The City of Charlottesville confirms Police Civilian Oversight Board Executive Director Inez Gonzalez is stepping down.

Speakers urge city officials for police oversight and highlight community support efforts.

I’m an activist and critical criminologist living in Ottawa with an interest in social justice, human rights, and anti-oppression. My tracks are typically interviews from local media. I do this as a m

Office of Police Oversight emphasizes transparency and community engagement in 2023 annual report

OCC reports case closures rising but faces staffing issues impacting misconduct sustainability.

Residents urge officials to reject police union influence and ensure community safety measures

Panel confronts ambiguity in event approval procedures and plans further discussion with Chris.