Report 2021-105 Recommendation 61 Responses

Report 2021-105: Law Enforcement Departments Have Not Adequately Guarded Against Biased Conduct (Release Date: April 2022)

Recommendation #61 To: Stockton Police Department

To ensure that it adequately investigates possible biased conduct and implements effective corrective actions, Stockton Police should ensure it has implemented policies or procedures by January 2023 that require that the investigations apply a definition of bias that incorporates the following: biased conduct can include conduct resulting from implicit as well as explicit biases; conduct is biased if a reasonable person would conclude so using the facts at hand; an officer need not admit biased or prejudiced intent for conduct to reasonably appear biased; and biased conduct may occur in an encounter with the public, with other officers, or online, such as conduct on social media.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2023

The Stockton Police Department is updating its policies through Lexipol, a platform representing nationwide standards and best practices. Currently, our Personnel Complaints Policy states Penal Code 13670, which defines a law enforcement gang. Lexipol will have a policy dedicated to Bias-Based Policing, which will include a definition of bias-based policing.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2021-105

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.