TRANSITION FROM THE CITIZEN POLICE COMPLAINT COMMISSION TO THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT AND POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION
CPCC EVALUATION
As a part of the City’s Racial Equity and Reconciliation Initiative, the City Council provided direction for engaging an outside expert to evaluate the operations of the CPCC. The independent evaluation was identified as a short-term action under Goal 3: Redesign police approach to community safety; and Strategy 2: Redesign police oversight and accountability through improved complaint and discipline practices. City Council subsequently approved funding of $150,000 for the evaluation as part of the FY 21 Budget.
In January 2022 the evaluation of the CPCC concluded, and the final evaluation report was completed in February 2022.
You can find the report in its entirety below.
CPCC Evaluation Final Report
At the December 6, 2022, meeting, the Long Beach City Council approved with a six to zero vote the authorization to begin a phased transition of the Citizen Police Complaint Commission (CPCC) to the new Office of Police Oversight (OPO) and Police Oversight Commission (POC) under provisions of the voter-approved Measure E Charter Amendment, which was passed by Long Beach voters in the November 2022 mid-term election.
Effective Jan. 1, 2023, new police complaints were solely filed with the Internal Affairs Division of the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) for investigation, consistent with their primary authority for investigations as outlined in Measure E. In September 2023, the City fully implemented the new OPO, which included the establishment of the POC, recruiting and staffing, operational procedures, and completion of a meet and confer process regarding staff duties that may be impacted by the new structure. The CPCC investigated the backlog of existing police complaints until they were completed, and the new OPO was established, and a Director of Police Oversight was recruited and onboarded. Once the CPCC completed their investigations of the backlogged complaints, that completed their role in overseeing allegations of police misconduct for the Long Beach Police Department.
On October 18, 2023, the CPCC held its final meeting and Commissioners were given a token of gratitude from the City.
STAY CONNECTED
If you have any questions, please email PoliceOversight@longbeach.gov.
