Los Angeles City Council refers sheriff's civilian-review model to independent panel with council endorsement in concept

The Los Angeles City Council on July 18 voted to send a plan modeled on Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca's civilian-review approach to the Police Commission and the independent civilian-review working groups for further study, and amended the referral with a statement expressing the council's general support for the concept.

Councilmember Misakowski moved the referral and Councilmember Feuer seconded; the council recorded a vote of 13 ayes and 1 no. The motion directs the Police Commission and its independent working groups to consider the sheriff's model among other oversight frameworks and return recommendations to the council.

The motion followed public comment and a lengthy council debate in which supporters said the sheriff's approach offered a model for strengthening civilian oversight and restoring public trust. "We strongly support the immediate study and establishment of the plan that Chair Baca has put in place in his department," said Hank Hernandez, general counsel for the Police Protective League, during public comment. Councilmembers praised the sheriff's effort as "innovative" and urged rapid consideration by the independent panels.

Councilmembers who spoke in favor framed the referral as a way to solicit independent review rather than to adopt a specific structure immediately. Councilmember Misakowski told colleagues she wanted the independent panels to examine the model and report back within a few months; the council's discussion repeatedly emphasized that any final changes would need to be tailored to the city's charter and LAPD procedures.

Several councilmembers urged the council to attach a clear statement of intent. Councilmember Wax sought — and won after amendment votes — a rider that the council's referral be accompanied by a statement that the concept of meaningful independent civilian review is one the council favors, while leaving technical design to the independent panels and the Police Commission. Opponents cautioned that civilian review models can shift procedural protections and that prior studies (for example, work cited from Eugene, Oregon) raised trade-offs in cost, sustained complaint rates and disciplinary outcomes.

The council's action sends the sheriff's model to the Police Commission and the independent working groups for evaluation and asks those bodies to return recommendations. The council recorded the formal referral vote as 13 in favor and 1 opposed; the item is scheduled to return to council after the panels report.