A hearing is set for Wednesday to confirm whether the Oakland Police Department is in compliance with all 51 of its required reforms for the first time in 23 years — the longest in US history, and federal oversight could end in September.
Federal monitor Robert Warshaw determined last week that the Oakland Police Department has met all 51 court-ordered reforms that date back to the Riders police misconduct scandal for the first time in over two decades, as KTVU reports. Warshaw credited Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and department leadership for pushing the remaining reforms across the finish line, including officer discipline standards, internal affairs investigations, and procedures for handling civilian complaints.
Additionally, lawsuits tied to excessive force and wrongful death claims against Oakland police have reportedly dropped significantly since the reforms began in 2003.
The finding could potentially clear the way for Oakland police to exit federal oversight in September, pending a hearing Wednesday. Per KTVU, the department has been under federal oversight longer than any other department in US history.
As SFist reported previously, the Oakland Police Department has operated under federal monitoring since 2003 following the Riders scandal, which involved a group of four Oakland officers accused of violating the civil rights of mostly Black residents, including committing assault, planting drugs, and falsifying police reports.
The reforms were prompted by a class action lawsuit filed in 2000 by attorneys John Burris and Jim Chanin on behalf of more than 100 people, which the city settled in 2003 while agreeing to a sweeping set of police reforms, per KTVU.
The reforms included changes to use-of-force policies, racial profiling prevention, internal affairs procedures, officer discipline, and transparency measures. Though Burris and Chanin initially expected oversight to last only a few years, OPD repeatedly fell out of compliance amid additional scandals and misconduct cases.
If Oakland police regain full control of the department in the fall, the civilian-led Oakland Police Commission expects to take over much of the oversight role moving forward, as KTVU reports.
Some advocates and attorneys involved in the case say the commission’s long-term effectiveness will depend on whether the city fully funds its operations, including its investigative arm and inspector general. The commission has said it wants expanded authority over internal affairs investigations and hopes to grow its staff.
City attorneys also told the court that the department’s newly created constitutional policing unit is currently seeking permanent leadership.
Advocates and attorneys involved in the case say the city now faces the challenge of maintaining those reforms without federal oversight, particularly around racial profiling, officer discipline disparities, and accountability systems.
Previously: Oakland Police Department Wants Out of Their 20-Year-Long Federal Oversight, Will Get Their Day in Court
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