As the sister of a police officer of the Los Angeles Police Department (Serial No. 32809) I have been very vocal about the improper special privileges, dishonesty and corruption at the LAPD that I experienced and witnessed; including the lack of supervision, oversight and accountability of individual officers engaging in wrongdoing. If you peruse the various postings on this blog, you will find numerous stories of impropriety by certain police officers like LAPD Detective Gerald Gibson, LAPD Detective Mike Johnson, LAPD Sergeant Joel Sydanmaa, LAPD Deputy Chief Pete Zarcone and LAPD Captain Brian Thomas of Internal Affairs Criminal Investigation Division. Oftentimes bodacious people like me are vilified for speaking out about controversial issues that are not right; like corruption in police departments and police officer misconduct. The murder of George Floyd in 2020 by a Minneapolis Police Officer was the final straw and catalyst for change on policing.
On today's date California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation creating a system to decertify peace officers for serious misconduct. He also signed legislation increasing transparency of peace officer misconduct records, improving policing responsibility and accountability guidelines, raising eligibility standards and banning harmful restraint techniques.
SB 2 by Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) creates a system within the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training ("POST") to investigate and revoke or suspend peace officer certification for serious misconduct such as excessive use of force, sexual assault and demonstration of bias or dishonesty. This legislation creates the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Division and the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board within POST to evaluate serious misconduct cases.
SB 16 by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) increases transparency of peace officer misconduct records pertaining to findings of unreasonable or excessive use of force, discriminatory or prejudiced behavior, failure to intervene when witnessing excessive use of force by a peace officer or participation in unlawful searches and arrests.
Governor Newsom also signed AB 26 by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) which creates guidelines for police officers to intercede and immediately report if a fellow officer is using excessive force. This is huge. Some police officers' may feel that the onerous is being put on them for the misconduct of their peers but this is a game changer with respect to the gang-like mentality that history has shown can permeate a police department and present itself in the field. This is not a break in the thin blue line. This is different. The "see something, say something" mantra should most definitely also apply to police officers in policing. Let's continue to show support for our police officers while also holding them accountable when they step out of line.
Jacqueline Sebiane
*Source of Official Information: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
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