Chief Armstrong's leave is latest twist in troubled Oakland police department history
OAKLAND -- Another alleged case of misconduct in the Oakland Police Department is triggering strong responses from those who have worked -- in some cases for decades -- to reform the department.
The Oakland Police Department has been under a federal oversight for more than 20 years since a civil rights lawsuit was filed against the city in 2000.
A group of officers known as the Riders were accused of beating Black residents, planting drugs and falsifying records.
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The department had made great improvements in meeting the court-mandated reforms. Now new allegations may set OPD back again.
"There's been a lot and a lot of good work -- so I thought. So I certainly thought I was easing towards the finish line," said attorney John Burris.
Burris was one of the attorneys who filed the lawsuit against Oakland in the "Riders" case in 2000.
OPD was on track to end the federal monitoring in May.
"So now we have to stop, reassess, see what needs to be done to prevent something like this from happening. It may not get done by the May period we were anticipating but whatever period of time it takes, we will do it," Burris added.
Burris had applauded Chief LeRonne Armstrong's work to meet the court mandates but now the chief himself has been placed on administrative leave as the city looks into police misconduct and an effort to cover up officers actions.
A report filed by a law firm hired for an independent investigation concluded that the chief and the department failed to properly investigate and discipline a sergeant who ripped the bumper off a neighbor's car in a hit-and-run crash in 2021 and, last year, fired his gun in a freight elevator at police headquarters.
"I haven't lost confidence in (Chief Armstrong's) decision-making authority. I have lost confidence in the fact that he didn't have people in the right place to give him correct information," Burris told KPIX.
While Burris believes the department can fix the problem, former federal judge and police auditor LaDoris Cordell says there's one fundamental issue: "The police can never investigate themselves."
Cordell appreciates the transparency in the 17-page report released by the United States District Court.
"This report reads like a novel. It's got lying and cheating and cover-ups and illicit intimate relationships. The sad part is it's not a novel. It's not fiction. It's fact," she said.
Cordell, who is a former police auditor, addressed the role of the internal affairs department.
"If you want to reimagine policing, get rid of internal affairs. Just get rid of it entirely. Bring in an independent civilian unit that will investigate all misconduct that's alleged against officers," she advised.
There will be a court hearing Jan. 31 to discuss the new allegations.
Even if the court approves the recommendations in the report, Burris says it will take time to implement the new procedures and make sure they work before the oversight can end.
