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Santa Ana Civilian Oversight Ordinance <br /> ORDINANCE NO. XXXXX <br /> AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA [AMENDING OR ADDING <br /> CHAPTER/TITLE], ESTABLISHING THE SANTA ANA COMMUNITY OVERSIGHT BOARD AND SANTA ANA <br /> OFFICE OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY. <br /> PREAMBLE <br /> WHEREAS, the residents of the City of Santa Ana are concerned about public safety <br /> issues and have expressed their concern through various means of civil engagement, including <br /> participation in community forums on civilian oversight and widespread protests in 2020 as part <br /> of the national movement for racial justice and police accountability; <br /> WHEREAS, there have been serious incidents of police misconduct by the Santa Ana <br /> Police Department (hereinafter Police Department or Department), including but not limited to <br /> the use of excessive force, unnecessary use of deadly force, abuse of authority, bribery, and <br /> harassment; <br /> WHEREAS, the Police Department has killed Brandon Lopez, Steve Salgado, Richard <br /> Gene Swihart, Ernesto Canepa, and several more Santa Ana community members; <br /> WHEREAS, the settlement of lawsuits related to police misconduct by Police <br /> Department has cost the City of Santa Ana roughly $24 million in the last decade; <br /> WHEREAS the public has a right to transparency on issues concerning police misconduct, <br /> officer-involved shootings, and other serious uses of force. <br /> WHEREAS, concealing crucial public safety matters, such as officer violations of civilians' <br /> rights or inquiries into deadly use of force incidents, endangers public safety and undercuts the <br /> public's faith in the legitimacy of law enforcement, making it harder for tens of thousands of <br /> police officers to do their jobs; <br /> WHEREAS, it is incumbent that City Council and Mayor of the City of Santa Ana ensure <br /> that the Police Department treats community members with dignity, respect, and the <br /> Department conforms to national standards of constitutional policing; <br /> WHEREAS, the City Council and Mayor of the City of Santa Ana are committed to <br /> protecting the rights of all community members in Santa Ana, regardless of their status under <br /> 1 <br />