South Bay Leader

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach announced today the recruitment launch for selecting its first-ever Director of Police Oversight. This position will provide integral leadership for the newly adopted Office of Police Oversight and will work to support and collaborate with the Police Oversight Commission (POC).

"The selection of a Director of Police Oversight is a historic opportunity to foster a culture of public trust, accountability, and best practices,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “We look forward to carefully choosing a leader with the expertise, integrity, and dedication necessary to uphold the highest standards of public service.”

While reporting directly to Long Beach City Council, the Director of Police Oversight will work closely with the POC, City Manager, Long Beach Police Department Chief and other City Departments, as necessary, to ensure continued accountability, transparency and input from the community regarding the direction of police oversight in the City. Responsibilities of the director may include but are not limited to: systemic reviews and audits of police policies, training, uses of force, complaints, and general operational practices by the Director; and regular engagement with the community and feedback to the Director on auditing priorities by the POC. More information about the position is available in the published job brochure.

The City is partnering with the executive recruiting firm Wendi Brown Creative Partners (WBCP), a minority and women owned firm, to conduct the search on behalf of the City Council. As part of the recruitment process, the City is encouraging community members to share their recommendations on desirable qualities and characteristics they want to see in a director by completing an online survey. The survey, available in English, Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog, is available now through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 30. Those with limited access to a computer or smart phone may visit a public computer lab available at any open Long Beach Public Library location. The community survey will also be promoted to constituents via the City’s social media pages and various newsletters, email blasts and other communication methods. Further, the City will ensure outreach is conducted to various local community groups, community-based organizations and neighborhood associations. Community members desiring to provide feedback in person or virtually may also attend an upcoming Public Safety Committee and/or virtual community meeting to share their recommendations for the position in person. Meetings will be held as follows, with additional meeting details for both meetings to be provided closer to the meeting dates:

• Virtual Community Meeting: Wednesday, July 12, 6 to 7 p.m.
• Public Safety Committee Meeting: Tuesday, July 25, 3 p.m.

Recommendations garnered through the community survey and Public Safety Committee/virtual community meetings will help inform the selection process for this position.

The City’s recruitment efforts will focus heavily on a qualified diverse applicant pool. The recruitment process is expected to be finalized by September of this year and the selected Director will be announced shortly thereafter. Candidates will undergo a multi-step assessment and interview process with the Mayor and City Council.

At the Dec. 6, 2022, meeting, the Long Beach City Council authorized the phased transition of the Citizen Police Complaint Commission (CPCC) to the new Police Oversight Commission under provisions of the voter-approved Measure E Charter Amendment that was passed by Long Beach voters in the November 2022 mid-term election.

Redesigning the police approach to community safety in Long Beach, including police oversight and accountability, originated from the City’s Racial Equity and Reconciliation Initiative.     

Original source can be found here.