Item 01 - Police Oversight Commission Ordinance Work Study Session

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City Manager's Office 71 www.santa-ana.org/cm Item # 1 City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Staff Report January 26, 2026 TOPIC: Police Oversight Commission Ordinance Work Study Session AGENDA TITLE Police Oversight Commission Ordinance Work Study Session RECOMMENDED ACTION Receive presentation on Police Oversight Commission Ordinance options and provide direction to staff to: 1. Maintain the current ordinance while including clean up language to align with the City Charter and have the Independent Oversight Director be appointed by the City Manager, remain independent from the Police Department, and still vetted by the City Council. 2. Modify the existing ordinance to the staff recommended audit model. 3. Modify the existing ordinance to a hybrid audit/investigation model, reflecting input from the Police Oversight Commission, and recommend that officer involved shootings and use of force that cause great bodily harm are open to investigation at the direction of the commission. GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No DISCUSSION On July 15, 2025, City Council considered proposed amendments to Article IV of Chapter 2 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code Police Oversight Commission that were developed after a thorough review and collaboration among City staff from the City Manager's Office, City Attorney's Office, Police Department, and Police Oversight Ad Hoc Committee members comprised of Mayor Amezcua, Mayor Pro Tern Vazquez, and Councilmember Bacerra. These amendments were proposed in an effort to align with state law, clarify roles and responsibilities regarding the City Manager form of government, define the scope of the commission's authority, and include additional training requirements for commissioners. During this meeting, the City Council voted to hold a joint special meeting with the Police Oversight Commission, the Police Oversight Director, and the City Council within 60 days.