A district judge has released the Oakland police department (OPD) from federal oversight after 23 years, marking the end of the longest arrangement of its kind in US history.
Background of the 'riders' scandal
In the early 2000s, a group of police officers known as the “riders” were exposed for offenses like planting evidence, falsifying reports and using excessive force against primarily young Black men. These actions led victims to file more than 100 civil lawsuits against the department. In 2003, as part of the settlement of these cases, the OPD was put on a federal court-ordered reform program.
Reform tasks and continued issues
The OPD was given more than 50 tasks to complete, including collecting and analyzing data on racial profiling, dealing with complaints against officers more quickly and updating their community policing practices. Despite this, issues remained, and the department’s reforms were put under the direct control of a federal judge in 2012.
Since then, the department has still had its share of scandals, including allegations that several OPD officers sex-trafficked a teenage girl; nearly a dozen officers were either fired or suspended. The investigation into the trafficking of the teenager began in 2015, and the OPD issued her a nearly $1m settlement in 2017.
Reaction to the decision
For organizers against police misconduct and brutality, the decision to end the federal oversight scheme does not mean that the department should be free of scrutiny.
“Police cannot police themselves. Oakland’s history has already taught us that lesson,” the Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP) said in a statement following the judge’s decision. “The end of federal oversight does not mean the end of police misconduct. It does not erase the history that brought OPD under federal supervision. And it certainly does not mean Oakland should simply trust OPD to hold itself accountable.”
