<\/p>\n
Oakland Police Chief James\u00a0Beere, at podium, stands next to\u00a0Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, right, during a press conference in May.<\/p>\n
Annie Vainshtein\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n
A court monitor found that Oakland\u2019s police force has for the first time achieved full compliance with reforms mandated by a federal court after a brutality scandal<\/a>, according to a draft report obtained by the Chronicle, a major win for a department that has struggled under supervision for nearly 25 years.<\/p>\n Court monitor Robert Warshaw\u2019s draft report, which was sent to the city, stopped short of calling for an end to oversight of the beleaguered department. A judge will ultimately decide whether the Oakland Police Department, which has gone through multiple scandals and nearly a dozen police chiefs in over 20 years, can regain independence. A meeting is scheduled with the judge, attorneys and the city on May 27.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the monitor\u2019s report signals a potential breakthrough for the city under Mayor Barbara Lee, the city\u2019s police department has been close to shedding federal oversight for years. A recent court filing indicated that, as of Warshaw\u2019s prior report, the department still had not completed two of several dozen reforms under an agreement it entered in 2003.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cFor the first time in the history of the NSA (negotiated settlement agreement), the Department has achieved compliance with all 51 Tasks,\u201d Warshaw wrote in the draft report. \u201cWe will continue to monitor the Department\u2019s performance, and are hopeful that these findings will remain.\u201d<\/p>\n Lee said in a statement that she\u2019s grateful for the monitor\u2019s findings.\u00a0<\/p>\n San Francisco Chronicle Logo<\/p>\n Make us a Preferred Source to get more of our news when you search.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe look forward to addressing the Court on May 27 at the Case Management Conference as we continue to build the momentum and forward progress on community trust and constitutional policing,\u201d Lee said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The court oversight stems from a class-action lawsuit in 2000 that accused four officers, known as the Riders, of violating civil rights by beating residents and planting evidence. In 2003, the court ordered Oakland to enter into federal oversight that requires the department to fulfill tasks designed to improve how the department trains, tracks and disciplines officers.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In 2022, Judge William H. Orrick ruled<\/a> that the department could enter a one-year probationary period to end oversight. But that period was extended after former police Chief LeRonne Armstrong was placed on administrative leave and ultimately fired<\/a> after the release of a report that detailed the department\u2019s mishandling of two officer misconduct cases.<\/p>\n City attorneys and two longtime plaintiff\u2019s attorneys, Jim Chanin and John Burris, filed a joint statement on Wednesday applauding the department\u2019s progress.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe City of Oakland continues to represent that it is on the cusp of full compliance with the NSA. Plaintiffs\u2019 attorneys agree that the Department is headed in the right direction,\u201d Chanin and Burris wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chanin and Burris said the department still had not yet reached full compliance with two of the more than 50 tasks: efficiently completing internal investigations and addressing disparities in disciplinary actions taken against officers. Warshaw now says the department has.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite the work remaining, Burris and Chanin said they were impressed with Lee\u2019s leadership and the police command staff\u2019s commitment to \u201caggressively attain compliance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Burris struck a measured tone on Friday after the release of the draft report.<\/p>\n \u201cThe findings are very encouraging but it ain\u2019t over until it\u2019s over,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is the light at the end of the tunnel.\u201d<\/p>\n