It would have been the most comprehensive audit conducted of the department, but instead became the subject of disputes inside City Hall over methodology and access to information.<\/p>\n
It never happened.<\/p>\n
Emails obtained by The OBSERVER through a public records request showed Watson raising concerns that then-Interim City Manager Leyne Milstein questioned her methodology and demanded extra justification for the review.<\/p>\n
Watson wrote that former City Manager Howard Chan and then-Police Chief Kathy Lester had opposed the earlier audit as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been stated over and over again that SPD leadership welcomes oversight, but actions illustrate the opposite,\u201d Watson wrote.<\/p>\n
Watson resigned Oct. 13, 2025, after Sacramento paid her roughly $271,000 under a separation agreement<\/a> that ended pending personnel investigations involving her. Weeks prior, Watson had internally reported exclusion and mistreatment by city leadership.<\/p>\n Neither Watson nor city officials publicly explained what ultimately led to the separation.<\/p>\n Assistant Director Jody S. Johnson became acting director after Watson\u2019s departure, but city sources told The OBSERVER that Johnson was let go over the summer. The city confirmed it no longer employs Johnson, but declined to confirm if he was terminated or resigned.<\/p>\n Brendan Smith replaced the office\u2019s first inspector general, Dwight White, in February 2025 and he too has left the city<\/a>. A primary duty of the city\u2019s inspector general is to investigate officer-involved shootings and critical incidents<\/p>\n Then came the budget.<\/p>\n Facing a $66.2 million general fund deficit, the City Council eliminated four OPSA positions: executive assistant, assistant director, investigator, and inspector general. There is also a freeze on hiring the next OPSA director until next year.<\/p>\n These cuts gutted oversight infrastructure while city leaders protected police spending. The department\u2019s budget has roughly doubled<\/a> over the past decade from about $125 million to more than $250 million, even as sworn staffing declined and reported crime fell 23%.<\/p>\n