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POST reports large backlog of misconduct reports, says most agency findings are unfounded or non‑actionable
Summary
POST staff told the advisory board that since implementation of SB 2 the division had received roughly 30,000 allegations and about 20,000 assigned cases; most agency findings were unfounded or not actionable under the statute, and POST said it is investigating and pursuing hundreds of certification actions outside of board hearings.
POST staff presented a detailed data briefing at the Oct. 17 meeting showing volume and disposition patterns since the SB 2 implementation and the look‑back window.
Key takeaways - Reports and cases: Staff said POST has received about 33,000 reported allegations (roughly 18,000 unique officers and about 19,000 assigned cases). About 59% of assigned cases are open; 41% closed.
- Most agency findings were not actionable for POST: POST staff said roughly 93% of agency resolutions in the large volume of incoming reports resulted in outcomes such as unfounded, not sustained or exonerated for the specific nine categories of "serious misconduct" used by POST; around 5–7% of cases result in sustained agency findings that may warrant POST review.
- Outcomes handled without hearings: POST described other certification actions that do not require board hearings, including default revocations where officers fail to respond to a notice of intent (POST cited roughly 60% of notices defaulting), voluntary surrenders (over 60) and disqualifications tied to convictions under Gov. Code 1029 (about 160 actions cited). The division also listed about 120 immediate temporary suspensions.
- Investigative time frame and staffing: The division estimated an average investigative work time to notice of intent of roughly 5.5 months and said the unit is still 40% short on permanent law‑enforcement consultant positions but has reduced pressure by hiring retired annuitants. The division said it still receives roughly 200 reports per week.
Why it matters The numbers suggest a large administrative workload: POST said it investigates agency investigations, runs its own supplemental inquiries in a subset of cases and must prioritize cases for licensing action. Staff urged continued investments in investigator capacity and improvements in data tools to identify cases that meet the statutory threshold for decertification.
Quote Bureau Chief Donald South: "We're talking about a 30,000 number of allegations. That's a lot of allegations of serious misconduct. What we're finding . . . the vast majority of those . . . the agency finding their determination is unfounded, not sustained or exonerated. So it's around 93%."
