POST panel outlines SB 2 reporting, decertification steps and timelines

Panelists from the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) laid out how agencies must report alleged serious misconduct under Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), how POST evaluates those reports and what officers can expect if POST seeks suspension or revocation of certification.

At a recorded Q&A hosted by POST’s Professional Conduct/Accountability division, law enforcement consultants said agencies must submit reports of conduct that “could render a peace officer subject to suspension or revocation” within 10 days of discovery, POST sends written closure or regulatory notices by U.S. mail, and officers have defined appeal windows if POST initiates regulatory action.

Why it matters: SB 2 created a statewide reporting and decertification pathway intended to add independent review of agency investigations. Panelists said POST will independently assess agency files, which can lead to a notice of intent to revoke and ultimately administrative proceedings separate from internal agency results.

How cases move at POST Rick Collins, law enforcement consultant, Northern Bureau, said POST’s process begins with an initial assessment by a law enforcement consultant. If the consultant believes a case may proceed, it is presented to a bureau chiefs (BC) panel. If the BC panel agrees, the consultant drafts an investigative summary and findings (ISF), and the legal affairs bureau reviews the ISF before the assistant executive director and chief legal affairs attorney decide whether to move the matter to the board for a public hearing. If the board recommends revocation or suspension, the Commission may authorize a formal administrative hearing before an administrative law judge.

"The commission shall review…