Court oversight of Oakland police could end in fall, judge says

SAN FRANCISCO - After 23 years, the Oakland police may finally get out from under federal oversight, a judge said Wednesday. If the judge rules in the department's favor, the oversight could be finished by this fall.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick told dozens of current and former Oakland officials the city has made great progress in court-ordered reforms in the wake of the "Riders" misconduct scandal.

"This is the first time in 23 years that OPD has achieved each of the 51 tasks the (Negotiated Settlement Agreement)," said Orrick, referring to the agreement that was reached in 2003. "However, no one can say ‘mission accomplished.’ "

Mayor addresses judge

What they're saying:

In comments to the judge, Mayor Barbara Lee struck a cautious tone, saying while "today does mark a milestone for community trust," she recognized the reforms need to be sustained. She announced the department's plans for a constitutional policing unit "to make accountability a permanent part of daily operations."

Lee told the judge, "I'd like to exit under my watch….with no backsliding."

Outside court, Lee said, "We have to be optimistic, but we can't rest. This is a milestone, but this isn't the finish line."

Oakland City Council President Kevin Jenkins agreed, saying, "This seems to be a (monumental) occasion for the city of Oakland. We've been under this NSA for the better part of 20-plus years, and it seems like we have shown a commitment to constitutional policing."

Independent monitor praised department

The backstory:

The hearing in San Francisco came days after independent monitor Robert Warshaw praised city leadership and said the department has met all 51 reforms in the wake of the Riders case, which first broke open in 2000.

"That's 26 years," said civil rights attorney John Burris. "You can imagine, a considerable number of people on this police force weren't even born when this took place." 

Burris, who represented the plaintiffs in the civil case, says the department's gotten close to having oversight end several times before, only to fall victim to other misconduct scandals.

"Hopefully, if nothing happens in a negative way, such as a scandal — and scandal is such that, that you don't follow the procedures that are in place," Burris said.

Former Oakland police veterans speak out

What they're saying:

Over the years, chiefs have come and gone, including former Oakland top cop and current New Orleans police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick. She clashed with the monitor and, along with others, accused him of repeatedly finding fault with the department to continue getting paid. 

"My personal opinion is that there must be something behind it to have it come to a stage now where they say 'Oh, now they're in full and complete compliance,'" Kirkpatrick said.

Years ago, Pete Dunbar voluntarily demoted himself from deputy chief in Oakland to captain to take accountability for the lack of progress in reforms.

"It's not been a smooth process, but I think the department overall has done an amazing job at sticking with the tasks, dealing with the moving goalposts," Dunbar said.

Millie Cleveland of the Coalition for Police Accountability said she wants reforms to be sustained.

"The first step was they had to fix the problem, now the next step is maintaining compliance," Cleveland said.

Cat Brooks, founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project, called the oversight process "expensive, slow and deeply flawed, but it still provided a level of public scrutiny over a department with a long history of harm."

She called for full funding of the Oakland Police Commission and Community Police Review Agency, two bodies that would help oversee the department should the monitor be officially released from his duties by the judge. 

"Federal oversight did not happen because OPD made a few mistakes. It happened because this department built a legacy of violence, corruption, and abuse that harmed generations of Oakland residents," Brooks said. "Ending federal oversight while starving the Police Commission and CPRA of resources is dangerous. Oakland cannot afford to remove oversight while simultaneously weakening the very bodies meant to protect the public from abuse of power."

Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on X @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan