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POST board votes to decertify Daly City officer over repeated false statements
Summary
After staff showed evidence that Officer Kevin Smith Matungo gave false statements during three internal‑affairs interviews, the board voted unanimously to decertify him for dishonesty that the division says was material to misconduct investigations.
The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training voted unanimously to decertify Kevin Smith Matungo after staff presented what they described as clear and convincing evidence that Matungo lied during three separate internal affairs interviews.
Christina Moore, a law enforcement consultant in POST’s Professional Conduct Central Bureau, outlined three investigations: (1) a retail shoplifting contact on 06/02/2024 where Matungo later claimed he had taken a fingerprint (evidence showed no fingerprint was obtained); (2) a training‑day tardiness on 06/20/2024 where Matungo told supervisors he had been handling evidence (video and door‑code data showed he arrived late and did not access the evidence room); and (3) a 10/25/2024 assignment to serve subpoenas that the division found he did not attempt to serve (body‑worn camera, GPS, automated license‑plate reader and witness statements contradicted his account).
Moore said Matungo admitted during the division’s later interview that he had made false statements and that he accepted his agency’s sustained findings; Matungo resigned rather than appeal his termination. The division recommended revocation or suspension of Matungo’s POST certification, arguing that dishonesty in investigations is a fundamental breach of public trust and therefore constitutes serious misconduct under statute and regulation.
Public commenters underscored the broader stakes of officer dishonesty for court outcomes and community trust. A public speaker urged the board to protect the integrity of the justice system by decertifying officers who repeatedly lie.
The board moved and seconded a motion to decertify Matungo; the clerk called the roll and the motion carried unanimously.
What’s next: POST staff said decertification proceedings will be notified and that administrative hearings are scheduled to begin in August; outcomes of those hearings will be reported to the commission and posted as appropriate.
