POST advisory board recommends revocations for four officers, stays one DUI case with probation terms

The Peace Officers Standards Accountability Advisory Board voted Oct. 17, 2024, to recommend that the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) move forward on decertification actions in four cases heard at the meeting. In a separate DUI-driven matter the board recommended revocation with a stayed order and probationary conditions that would include inpatient/outpatient treatment and random biological fluid testing if the officer becomes reemployed.

The board's actions followed presentations by POST law-enforcement consultants and legal staff and public comment. The division summarized its findings in each case and asked the board to find that there was "clear and convincing evidence" that serious misconduct occurred. POST staff presented the legal standards drawn from Penal Code section 13510.8 and related regulations.

Why it matters: POST certification determines whether a person may serve as a sworn peace officer in California. Revocation prevents an officer from obtaining employment as a peace officer in other agencies in the state and is reported to national decertification indices.

What the board recommended (votes at a glance) - James Matuku (then-Riverside Police Department): POST presented an investigation finding repeated dishonesty during internal affairs interrogations after printed “rat buster” flyers were placed in a station…