Long Beach
Office of the Mayor

View as a PDF

LONG BEACH, CA — The Long Beach City Council will vote to officially appoint Francine Kerridge as the first Director of Police Oversight for the City of Long Beach. This appointment concludes a nationwide search, with 86 applicants for the position, including a community survey, stakeholder interviews, and a public forum.

The position will provide integral leadership for the City’s new Office of Police Oversight and will work to support and collaborate with the new Police Oversight Commission (POC). Pursuant to Article XIA Section 1152 of the City Charter, the City Council will vote to adopt the resolution at the Sept. 12, 2023, meeting.

“I’m proud to introduce Francine Kerridge as the city’s first Director of Police Oversight,’’ said Mayor Rex Richardson. “The recruitment and selection process for the Director of Police Oversight was conducted with careful consideration, and Ms. Kerridge proved to be the best candidate to fulfill the critical responsibilities of this new role. We are honored to have her join the city team at this pivotal moment in our city’s history and look forward to her leadership and expertise to cultivate a community of stronger public trust and accountability.”

While reporting directly to the Mayor and City Council, Ms. Kerridge will work closely with the Police Oversight Commission, City Manager, Long Beach Police Department Chief and other City Departments, as necessary, to ensure continued accountability, transparency and input from the community regarding the direction of police oversight in the City. Ms. Kerridge will also oversee systemic reviews and audits of police policies, training, uses of force, complaints, and general operational practices as well as community engagement for auditing priorities by the Police Oversight Commission, among other responsibilities.

Ms. Kerridge brings to the City more than 30 years in public safety leadership and law enforcement combined. As a self-proclaimed motivated public servant, throughout her career she has successfully built effective relationships between the community and the City of Sacramento’s Public Safety departments; provided oversight and auditing functions to the internal affairs complaint investigation process; possesses an extensive track record for developing relationships with the community and creating partnerships to improve the understanding of police work and authority; and exemplifies superior leadership talents in community engagement and transparency.

Prior to joining the City of Long Beach, in her most recent role, Ms. Kerridge served as the Inspector General for the County of Sacramento, where she conducted complex investigations and audits of community complaints of Sacramento County Sheriff deputies. In that role, she prepared annual reports for the public, including statistical information and recommendations for improvement for Sheriff policies and procedures, and worked closely with the Sacramento Community Review Commission to support their goal of building trust between the community and Sheriff Department, among other key responsibilities.

Throughout her extensive career in public safety, Ms. Kerridge previously served in law enforcement for 19 years, including 13 years conducting complex and sensitive investigations; has audited over 3,500 misconduct complaints against public safety personnel; has participated in over 100 public forums to provide professional recommendations and guidance for complaint resolution, transparency and conflict resolution resulting in reduced police and community tension; and has provided 35 recommendations to improve public safety policy and procedures following critical incidents such as officer-involved shootings and death in-custody incidents. Additionally, she served as a Governor-appointed Board Member for the California Board of State Community Corrections from 2017 to 2019.

“I am grateful to the Mayor and City Council for entrusting me to lead the newly formed Office of Police Oversight,” said Kerridge. “I’m excited to dive in to getting to know the community and working together with the community and police to build trust through police transparency and accountability.”

Ms. Kerridge holds a Master of Science in Emergency Management from California State University, Long Beach and a Criminal Justice degree from Madonna University in Michigan.

She will begin her role the week of Sept. 25, 2023.

In December 2022, the Long Beach City Council authorized the phased transition of the Citizen Police Complaint Commission (CPCC) to the new Office of Police Oversight and Police Oversight Commission under provisions of the voter-approved Measure E Charter Amendment that was passed by Long Beach voters in the November 2022 mid-term election. In June 2023, the City launched recruitment for the Director of Police Oversight position, which included community engagement and input for the recruitment and selection process. Pursuant to the City Charter and deliberations of the City Council Closed Session on Aug. 20 and 21, 2023, the City Council selected Francine Kerridge as Police Oversight Director; the City Council must adopt a resolution in open session to officially appoint the position.

Redesigning the police approach to community safety in Long Beach, including police oversight and accountability, originated from the City’s Racial Equity and Reconciliation Initiative.

# # #

Rex Richardson is a husband, father, and the 29th Mayor of Long Beach, California. Mayor Richardson’s history in Long Beach is grounded in empowering communities to have a seat at the table.

Mayor Richardson has a distinguished record of public service. He serves on the Advisory Board of the United States Conference of Mayors and, regionally, is Vice Chair of the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency. Richardson has previously served as President of the Southern California Association of Governments.

Mayor Richardson and his wife, Dr. Nina Richardson, are proudly raising their two young daughters, Alina and Mila, in the North Long Beach community.