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Police oversight commission votes to place comprehensive SAPD lawsuits report on a future agenda
Summary
The commission voted 7–0 to place Commissioner Perea's request on a future agenda directing staff to prepare a comprehensive report on Santa Ana Police Department lawsuits, settlements and related legal expenditures; commissioners debated timeframe and scope.
The Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission on July 9 voted unanimously to place on a future meeting agenda a request from Commissioner Perea directing city staff to prepare a comprehensive report on Santa Ana Police Department lawsuits, settlements, litigation costs and related legal expenditures covering 2010–2026.
"What I'm proposing today is for the commission to place a future agenda item directing city staff to prepare a comprehensive report on Santa Ana Police Department lawsuits, settlements, litigation costs, and related legal expenditures from 2010 through 2026," Commissioner Perea said, explaining that earlier work around Measure X had reported about $24 million in settlement costs from 2010–2020 and that updated figures are needed.
Commissioners asked procedural and scope questions during a structured two‑part discussion (three minutes of questions followed by three minutes of comments). Commissioner Goronsky questioned whether reviewing lawsuits and litigation costs was more properly a city council function; Perea said transparency and oversight of liability costs fall within the commission's accountability role. Commissioner Baid and others suggested narrowing the timeframe (one commissioner favored a five‑year window) to limit cost and scope. Assistant City Attorney Martinez advised that the current meeting's action was to decide whether to bring the item back for fuller discussion and that details could be refined for the future meeting.
The motion to place the item on a future agenda was made by Vice Chair Steele Lawton and seconded by Chair Carpenter; roll call produced seven ayes and zero nays. The commission also approved its consent calendar earlier in the meeting (items 1–3) by a 6–1 vote; Commissioner Mejia cast the lone dissent on the consent calendar.
If the commission directs staff after the future discussion, the requested report could include settlement totals, outside counsel fees, staff time and related expenditures; commissioners discussed but did not finalize the report's precise timeframe or line items at the July 9 meeting. The commission's next regular meeting is Aug. 13, 2026.
