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focused model and the outlined oversight functions' provide the infrastructure for a meaningful <br /> and effective police oversight model. To ensure the full and prompt implementation of such a <br /> model, we urge the Mayor and City Council to direct staff to (1)prepare an ordinance to <br /> establish the oversight model to be considered by City Council before the end of the 2021-22 <br /> Fiscal Year and (2)prepare a Charter amendment to further strengthen the authority of the police <br /> oversight Board/ Commission, to be submitted to voters at the November 2022 election. <br /> When high-profile police killings occur locally or nationwide, calls for police accountability and <br /> transparency grow louder. In fact, the very origins and advancements of police oversight are <br /> rooted in civil rights movements' response to excessive and deadly force by law enforcement.' <br /> Given the recent high-profile killing of Santa Ana resident Brandon Lopez by Anaheim <br /> Police Department officers in September 2021, it is imperative that the City of Santa Ana <br /> build an effective police oversight model to help avert future unjustified use of deadly force <br /> against civilians, hold police officers accountable for misconduct, and intervene in systemic <br /> problems within the Santa Ana Police Department. An investigative-auditor/monitor model <br /> will accomplish these tasks and pave the way to a more holistic approach to public safety for <br /> communities that are under-resourced and over-policed. <br /> One of the core tenets of effective police oversight is independence. The police department is <br /> currently the only agency responsible for investigating excessive and deadly force and civilian- <br /> complaints against officers. An independent investigative-auditor/monitor model will enable a <br /> civilian-led inquiry and findings into deadly use of force and misconduct allegations separate <br /> from the police department's investigation and findings. By excluding current and former law <br /> enforcement from serving on the oversight board and commission, the City will retain the core <br /> tenet of independence and thereby ensure public trust in the model. Civilian-led oversight of law <br /> enforcement ensures that those who are subject to the power of the police department lend their <br /> expertise to shaping it, and empowers residents to correct injustices that they and their neighbors <br /> suffer at the hands of police. <br /> As the City Council further discusses police oversight, it must also address the issues of staffing <br /> and scope of authority. First, it is imperative that the Police Oversight Commission <br /> (Commission) tasked with conducting independent investigations is properly staffed to handle <br /> the number and breadth of investigations into civilian complaints, allegations of serious <br /> misconduct, and uses of deadly force. At least one attorney-investigator per fifty officers will <br /> enable impartial and thorough investigations; this ratio would amount to eight attorney- <br /> investigators for the City of Santa Ana, as it has roughly 380 sworn officers. <br /> 1 Ridge,K. (2022).Police Oversight Ad Hoc Committee Informational Report. Santa Ana City Manager's Office. <br /> https:Hsanta-ana.primegov.com/portal/viewer?id=25 79&type=0 <br /> 2 Vitoroulis,Michael,Cameron McEllhiney,and Liana Perez.2021.The Evolution and Growth of Civilian <br /> Oversight:Key Principles and Practices for Effectiveness and Sustainability.Washington,DC: Office of <br /> Community Oriented Policing Services. <br />