After 20 Years, Federal Oversight Ends for Oakland PD
While acknowledging that there’s still a lot of work to do, the city’s mayor and police chief welcomed the ruling by a federal judge Thursday freeing the Oakland Police Department from the federal oversight imposed after an investigation showed police officers routinely planted drugs on suspects, and beat civilians.
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A federal judge has ruled that the troubled Oakland Police Department (OPD) can now shed the federal oversight that’s shadowed the department for 20 years, NPR reports. The U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick ruled that the department can now enter into a one-year probationary period. While acknowledging that there’s still a lot of work to do, the city’s mayor and Oakland Police Chief welcomed the end of the oversight, saying it’s a sign of real progress.
The oversight was imposed after a rookie police officer blew the whistle on a police group in 2000 who called themselves “The Riders.” The group routinely planted drugs on suspects and occasionally dished out beatings alongside falsified police reports, unlawful arrests, and obstruction of justice.
