With the seven Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission members set – each appointed by a member of the City Council – and starting their training, all that’s left is for the councilmembers to hire an independent oversight director.
The commission, approved by the City Council in 2022, was created for the purpose of improving transparency and increasing accountability and public confidence in the Santa Ana Police Department, as well as assist in reviewing community complaints about the police.
The director will be responsible for conducting investigations after receiving a complaint or lawsuit and for reviewing residents’ police complaints or use-of-force reports. Whoever is hired for the role will report directly to the City Council, not to the police chief or city manager.
“You wouldn’t want a person from PD providing oversight, and then the police report to the city manager, so what we’re trying to provide for everybody, both the community and the police officers themselves, is this independent oversight,” Councilmember Phil Bacerra said. “The only way you make it truly independent is if you make it a separate person.”
The city issued an open request for proposals for the position, and received five, city spokesperson Paul Eakins said.
While the council gears up to hire the oversight director, the commissioners have already started their training on topics such as the Brown Act, the Police Department’s training procedures, use-of-force standards and more. The commissioners are also being offered voluntary ride-alongs with police officers.
Commissioner Carlos Perea said the oversight director is a “crucial” position to fill for the commission to be able to accomplish the majority of its work.
“The commission itself cannot conduct investigations, cannot do subpoenas, cannot do anything directly when it comes to investigations or when it comes to disciplining officers,” Perea said. “It has to act through the oversight director.”
He also said the commissioners are eager to get through their lengthy training – which, though important, is taking longer than they expected, he said – so they can get started working on addressing complaints and concerns from residents.
The oversight director, Eakins said, is not required to participate in the same training, but will be provided all training materials and presentations given to the commission.
Commissioner Amalia Mejia said she wants to emphasize the word “oversight” in Police Oversight Commission, adding that as a person with a seat at this table, her responsibility is to be a voice for Santa Ana residents.
“My job is to ensure that the community is safe and that the community is being respected, and that the Santa Ana PD is not using any use-of-force against the community,” Mejia said. “I’m not saying that the safety of them is not important. That’s the status quo. The oversight commission was intended to also provide safety for Santa Ana residents who have not been receiving that same safety.”
As the commissioners continue to receive trainings, Mejia said she still encourages members of the public to sit in on the monthly meetings.
“These are very important because the type of training that we receive is going to be how we are interpreting complaints when folks are filing the application,” Mejia said, adding that having the commission opens a new avenue for people to report possible misconduct in case they are fearful to complain directly to the Police Department.
The online portal to submit complaints for the commission’s review is live at www.santa-ana.org/police-oversight-commission-complaint-form.
Complaints received will go to the commissioners for discussion, who together will come up with suggestions for the chief of police and City Council on how to move forward.
“The commission doesn’t have any discipline authority. We can open a case and we can start looking, asking for information,” Mejia said. “And, we as a commission have to come together into agreement. Then, whatever we end up deciding, that’s what’s sent out to the chief and to the City Council. They still make last decision.”
The Police Oversight Commission meets at 5 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month in the Council Chamber at 22 Civic Center Plaza.