PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – At the Dec. 6, 2022, meeting, the Long Beach City Council approved with a six to zero vote the authorization to begin a phased transition of the Citizen Police Complaint Commission (CPCC) to the new 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.

“I’m proud that Long Beach is restructuring to move in this new and necessary direction,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “The establishment of a modern commission, dedicated to police oversight, will support our efforts towards greater accountability and transparency with our community.”

Effective Jan. 1, 2023, new police complaints will solely be filed with the Internal Affairs Division of the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) for investigation, consistent with their primary authority for investigations as outlined in Measure E. The City anticipates approximately six to 12 months to fully implement the new Office of Police Oversight, which includes the establishment of the Police Oversight Commission, recruiting and staffing, operational procedures, and completion of a meet and confer process regarding staff duties that may be impacted by the new structure. During the transition, the CPCC will continue to accept police complaints filed through Dec. 31, 2022, and will continue investigating the backlog of existing police complaints until the new Office of Police Oversight is established and a Director of Police Oversight is recruited and onboarded. Once the CPCC completes their investigations of the backlogged complaints, then the CPCC will no longer oversee allegations of police misconduct.

To file a complaint, community members can download a complaint form on the LBPD website and email Internal.Affairs@longbeach.gov, call the Internal Affairs Division at 562.570.7343, or call the LBPD main line at 562.570.7236.

Following a presentation of the CPCC Independent Evaluation Final Report to the City Council in February 2022, comprised of feedback garnered from community surveys, listening sessions, stakeholder interviews and a national benchmark study, the City Council directed staff to initiate a charter amendment process to review the existing CPCC structure and establish a new police oversight and accountability process. Prior to its placement on the November 2022 ballot, the City Council and the Charter Amendment Committee conducted three joint public hearings over the summer months to discuss the proposed Measure E Charter Amendment that would establish a hybrid model of police oversight comprised of an Office of Police Oversight, led by a Director of Police Oversight, and a new restructured Police Oversight Commission to provide greater transparency and accountability.

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.