San Fernando police chief unveils three‑phase implementation plan after outside assessment

San Fernando's police chief presented a three‑phase, three‑year implementation plan that maps 33 assessment recommendations into near‑term stabilization, mid‑range integration and long‑term sustainment steps.

What was presented: The plan, drawn from an outside organizational assessment completed by retired Chief John Perez, organizes work into (1) building a foundation (standardized reviews of uses of force and pursuits, auditable training records, simplified complaint intake), (2) integrating training, policy, technology and data‑driven audits, and (3) institutionalizing leadership development and continuous audit cycles.

John Perez, who led the assessment, told the council "the process of change is the most difficult part," emphasizing the challenge of implementing best practices while maintaining staff buy‑in. Chief Aldez said the plan gives him measurable benchmarks and requested council support for technology and staffing investments required to track progress.

Council questions and direction: Council members asked for more detailed, itemized cost estimates (for example a modern records‑management/CAD system was described as a $200,000–$250,000 investment), clearer performance metrics and a schedule for quarterly updates. Staff and the chief agreed to return with more granular work plans tied to budget requests and to provide public dashboards and progress reports.

Next steps: Council received and filed the implementation plan and asked staff to return with an 8‑week progress update and a final report at plan completion; staff will identify specific budget requests for FY 2026–27 where technology or staffing investment is needed.

Provenance: Presentation and Q&A on the police assessment implementation plan (SEG 2460–SEG 4017).