Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Audit Response topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Santa Rosa police detail steps to implement seven OIR recommendations
Summary
Chief John Krieg and Lt. Kyle Phillips told city leaders the department has concurred with seven recommendations from the Office of Independent Review(OIR), describing steps to delegate investigations, strengthen supervisor training, and use a Major Incident Review Board to track corrective actions.
Chief John Krieg and Lieutenant Kyle Phillips presented the Santa Rosa Police Departmentresponse to the Office of Independent Review(OIR) 2025 annual report, telling the council the department agrees with the seven recommendations and has taken concrete steps to implement them. "We have a dedicated professional standards team who works very closely with our independent police auditor," Krieg said, and Phillips described new training and assignment practices for supervisors.
Phillips said OIR reviewed 55 personnel investigations last year and recommended that more investigations be delegated to first-line supervisors so they develop investigative skills. "We recently added that block to the new training sergeants," Phillips said, explaining that new sergeants now receive one-on-one instruction from the professional standards unit and must attend internal affairs school within a year of promotion. The department also described new checklists and holdover procedures to document follow-up timelines and assignments to reduce delays in investigative work.
Both speakers described the Major Incident Review Board (MIRB), created last year to examine significant uses of force, canine deployments and officer-involved shootings. Krieg said MIRB assigns action items that cannot be closed until completed: "Every recommendation out of any MIRB has this exact format: what's the problem, who's assigned to it, how do we fix it, and when does it get completed." He added that the city attorney participates in the process and that the chief retains discretion to send matters to MIRB when community concerns or unusual facts arise. The presentation concluded with council praise for the department's transparency and ongoing collaboration with OIR.
