By Hema Sivanandam
Bay Area News Group
ANTIOCH, Calif. — A year after signing an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to increase oversight measures, the Antioch Police Department has completed an overhaul of its policies, with a primary focus on accountability.
The deal, which runs three to five years, came after federal scrutiny in response to scandals involving racism and alleged criminals within the department’s ranks.
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The department was first investigated by the FBI and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office in 2022 for alleged corruption and crimes including possible violent civil rights violations and assaults.
Amid the criminal investigations, authorities discovered a slew of racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic text messages exchanged between Antioch police officers in 2023.
Dozens of officers were then investigated or placed on leave following the revelation.
The agreement inked with the Department of Justice emphasizes monitoring K9 bites and other uses of force.
Faced with possible court action if they don’t meet the requirements in the agreement, the Antioch Police Department and city have been working to revise the department’s policy manual, especially in situations related to bias-based policing and use of force.
Manjit Sappal, a consultant jointly selected by the DOJ, city, and Antioch Police Department, said that work was completed in November, and has been accepted by the federal agency.
“The Department of Justice has approved these policies,” said Sappal.
To ensure the department does not engage in bias-based policing, language was included that holds officers and their supervisors accountable, said Sappal. Other significant shifts include the department’s vehicle pursuit policy, which previously had a “fairly liberal” stance, Sappal said, but will now operate under stricter guidelines.
The Antioch Police Officers’ Association, which was part of the working group to overhaul policies, was supportive of the changes, said Sappal.
“Their response was, ‘We understand what it is the department’s trying to do, and we support it,” he said. “Generally, you don’t get that kind of response from unions.”
The Antioch Police Oversight Commission was central to the policy review, bringing a community perspective.
Commissioner Porshe Taylor, who was part of the oversight commission’s ad hoc committee reviewing policies, said members were “extremely vocal” in their feedback.
“What I will say is that the policies weren’t bad, the policies were there,” Taylor told this news organization. “The oversight was not there, and so the policies now highlight the oversight.”
The revisions also ensure clear separation between those involved in field operations and those tasked with oversight responsibilities, Taylor said.
“Because if you’re there with the person doing the bad thing, then you are a part of the bad thing, so we needed a different set of eyes,” said Taylor. “There’s the chain of command written now, so we shouldn’t have the same gaps that we had. Sometimes, there would be people that were next to each other, signing off on what occurred. That wouldn’t happen anymore.”
The next steps will be implementation and training, which will be the focus of the police department this year, followed by compliance measurement.
Sappal said it was important for officers to understand the rationale behind changes in the department.
“I think that’s where the supervisors and the managers are going to be critical. … Because if they don’t understand why it is that these changes were made and how they’re supposed to make a difference, then having them go back to a policy manual to refer to what we’re supposed to be doing is going to be a failure,” said Sappal.
During a presentation to the Antioch City Council, Sappal noted the department has achieved “substantial compliance” in five of the seven sections of the agreement.
While the department has made strides in some areas, others like data collection, a language access plan, and non-discriminatory policing training still require work, said Sappal.
“We have two years to meet the minimum requirements of meeting the terms of the agreement,” Sappal told councilmembers. “This year is going to be implementation of multiple plans and directives, and then moving forward, next year, we’ll be looking at compliance if we can maintain this for the next 12 months. So far, we’re on the path to success.”
Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker said many community members are “cautiously optimistic” about the changes, with some questioning whether there will be a “true cultural shift” in policing practices, rather than merely an exercise in checking boxes.
Sappal noted that the community should have a “healthy level” of skepticism, but hoped that, over time, those who lack trust in the police will agree that the changes are moving the department in the right direction.
“Give it an opportunity and let it see where it goes and how it blossoms,” Sappal said.
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