Judge dismisses 26-year-old case, ending federal monitoring of Oakland Police Department

While the federal monitorship officially concluded on Sept. 30, the monitor has until Oct. 16 to close its office in Oakland.SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — A federal judge said Thursday that the decades-old federal oversight of the Oakland Police Department has concluded, dismissing the case that triggered the 23-year federal monitorship over “substantial compliance” with settlement terms reached in 2003.“I congratulate the men and women of the Oakland Police Department, the current city and OPD leadership, and all the past leaders and officers who helped bring OPD into substantial compliance with the NSA and for their ongoing commitment to the goals of constitutional policing,” U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick wrote in his order.The case against the Oakland Police Department began in December 2000 when 119 plaintiffs accused four veteran police officers, called the “Riders,” of false arrest, excessive use of force, falsifying police reports and assault and battery. The department agreed in 2003 to take on vigorous reforms but was mired in scandals that hampered its compliance.For the past four years, the agency has been under a “sustainability period,” meaning it seeks to achieve total compliance with all assigned tasks under the negotiated settlement.In his 13th report, federal monitor Robert Warshaw said the department had achieved compliance with all 51 tasks of the negotiated settlement agreement.At a hearing on May 27, Orrick said he would terminate the federal monitorship and close the case on Sept. 29, as long as the city remained in compliance. Then, the judge said department oversight would transition to the citizen-led Oakland Police Commission.Federal oversight officially concluded on Sept. 30. Warshaw has until Oct. 16 to close his office.“While it was important for this court to have played the role it has over the last 23 years for the city and OPD to reach substantial compliance, now it is important for the court to get out of the way and let the people of Oakland and their leaders build the future,” the Barack Obama appointee wrote in the eight-page order.In the order, Orrick provided a list of 16 achievements of the police department put together by Warshaw, including reducing the number of officer-involved shootings, an increase in internal accountability and a new focus on racial disparities in policing.However, the judge said it was the department’s effort to be more accountable to city leadership and provide regular updates to the mayor’s office that convinced him federal oversight was no longer necessary.“One of the reasons oversight lasted as long as it did was the instability and inconsistency of leadership at OPD and in City Hall. Mayor Barbara Lee has changed all that,” he wrote, adding the dedication of Lee, along with the current chief of police and the civilian-led Police Commission “makes federal court involvement superfluous.”Orrick also highlighted the department’s reduction in annual non-dispatch stops. In 2016, Black individuals comprised 62% of all non-dispatch stops, he said, compared to the period between 2022 and 2025, when they made up an average of 45% of non-dispatch stops.“The reduction in discretionary stops means less opportunity for bias to impact those interactions between the police and the community they serve,” he wrote.The judge called out the “recurring problem” of the choice of city leaders throughout the court’s oversight to hide or ignore misconduct, rather than identify issues and take responsibility.“Public trust is earned through commitment to constitutional policing and honesty when problems arise — the leadership of OPD must understand the cover-up is almost always worse than the crime itself,” he wrote.Representatives for the parties did not immediately respond to a request for comment.In June 2022, Orrick signaled an end to the monitor could be in sight and gave the department one year to demonstrate full compliance.However, he opted to keep the monitor in January 2023 following a scathing report detailing how internal investigators mishandled a sergeant who failed to report crashing his police vehicle and who fired his gun inside a city building.The report led then-Mayor Sheng Thao to fire former Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong, who became the 11th department head dismissed within the last decade. Armstrong was also investigated for his handling of perjury and bribery claims.In April 2023, Orrick narrowed the monitor’s scope but said the department needed to demonstrate full compliance with all the tasks. By December 2023, the monitor said the department was making more progress.However, in August 2024, Warshaw found the police department was still out of compliance with one settlement agreement task that pertained to the handling of internal investigations, including personnel complaints.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads