LAPD needs accountability, oversight and transparency, now is our opportunity

The LA Charter Reform Commission is set to discuss LAPD reforms on March 5, 2026 and the community needs to be heard

If you live in Los Angeles, this one’s for you. LA is rewriting the city charter, which was originally written in 1925, and last updated in 2000, and LAPD reforms are next up on March 5, 2026 at 4pm. You can register to attend via Zoom.

Click above for an email-ready template on LAPD Reforms

The LAPD is the 3rd largest police department in the U.S.. And the LAPD accounts for 23.6% of the total City budget, and is the highest funded department in the city at over $3.3b for in 2026. But despite its size and influence, how the department handles complaints and discipline has repeatedly raised serious concerns.

“City Council…has no direct oversight [of LAPD]”

— Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez (CD-1)

“Under our current Charter, the City Council cannot set clear policy or require full transparency from LAPD.,” Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez (CD-1) wrote in a December 2025 letter to the Charter Reform Commission. “When there is no transparency, no oversight, and no guarantee that LAPD policies reflect the values of all Angelenos, trust in law enforcement erodes, and our constituents assume the worst — and they are not wrong to.”

From 2016-2022 there were over 17,000 civilian complaints of police misconduct. Over the last five years, LAPD related legal settlements have cost the City nearly $400 million — paid out of the General Fund, not the multi-billion dollar budget the department has. That’s the same fund that supports parks, libraries, youth programs, and essential services. When misconduct happens, we all pay for it.

“LAPD answers only to a Board of Police Commissioners appointed by the Mayor,” Hernandez continued in her letter. “Meanwhile, the City Council — which approves LAPD’s budget and bears the financial consequences of the department’s actions — has no direct oversight role.”

The opportunity to put true oversight in place through recommendations by the Charter Reform Commission is one we can’t let slip by.

How does the Charter Reform Commission work?

The Charter Reform Commission only has until April to finalize recommendations. Recommendations will be sent to the City Council and Mayor for review and approval. If approved, the recommendations will appear on our ballots in November 2026.

The Commission has the power to recommend structural changes that could:

• Strengthen civilian oversight

• Reform disciplinary processes

• Increase transparency

• Shift financial responsibility for misconduct

• But they need to hear from residents.

Despite dozens of community recommendations, the Charter Commission’s agenda is sparse. They want to create yet another Commission for oversight into LAPD, that won’t be voter appointed, a further waste of tax payer’s dollars when the LA City Council that voter’s elect should have this ability. We need to reject the new commission and push for true reform recommendations.

Here’s what you can do:

It takes less than two minutes.

Click below, send an email to the Charter Reform Commission, and tell them you support meaningful police accountability reforms. I’ve made an email template tool where you can select which reforms you support and it will generate a quick email for you to send to the Commission.

Click below for an email-ready template on LAPD Reforms

If you want to read about the listed reforms in more detail, I’ve given quick summaries of the recommended reforms below.

Proposed Recommendations

1. Give City Council Direct Authority Over LAPD Policy

   1. Amend the Charter to give Council binding authority to set and enforce LAPD policies rather than routing policy changes through the Police Commission.

      1. Supported by: Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez (CD-1)

2. Reconsider the Structure of the Police Commission

   1. Evaluate whether a mayor-appointed Police Commission provides sufficient civilian control and consider shifting or sharing authority with elected officials.

      1. Supported by: LA Forward

3. Improve Public Accessibility of the Police Commission

   1. Require accessible meeting times, language access, sufficient notice, and meaningful public comment opportunities.

      1. Supported by: Catalyst California, League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles, Ground Game LA, LA Forward

4. Expand Diversity Requirements for Police Commissioners

   1. Ensure the Commission reflects LA’s demographic diversity, includes individuals impacted by police violence, civil rights experts, and does not disqualify individuals solely based on prior arrest or conviction.

      1. Supported by: Catalyst California, League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles, Ground Game LA, LA Forward

5. Reform or Eliminate the Board of Rights

   1. Address concerns that the Board frequently reduces or overturns discipline; consider major reform or elimination.

      1. Supported by: LA Forward, Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez (CD-1) and Tim McOsker (CD-15)

6. Allow the Police Chief Greater Authority to Remove Officers

   1. Give the Chief clearer authority to terminate officers in egregious or repeat misconduct cases.

      1. Supported by: Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez (CD-1) and Tim McOsker (CD-15)

7. Comprehensive Review of the Entire Disciplinary System

   1. Conduct a full top-to-bottom review of the disciplinary process, from complaint intake to appeal.

      1. Supported by: Councilmember Tim McOsker (CD-15)

8. Establish Measurable Performance Metrics for Discipline

   1. Set benchmarks such as reducing case processing time and ensuring consistency across panel types.

   2. Supported by: Councilmember Tim McOsker (CD-15)

9. Shift Liability Settlement Costs to LAPD’s Budget

   1. Require misconduct settlements to be paid from LAPD’s own budget instead of the General Fund.

      1. Supported by: LA Forward

10. Explore Professional Liability Insurance for Officers

    1. Consider insurance models where officers bear increased costs tied to misconduct.

    2. Supported by: LA Forward

11. Mandate Annual Inspector General Audits of Stops and Uses of Force

    1. Require yearly audits with race- and geography-disaggregated data.

       1. Supported by: Catalyst California, League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles, Ground Game LA, LA Forward

12. Require Annual Audits of Board of Rights Proceedings

    1. Audit whether disciplinary findings align with evidence and report outcomes.

       1. Supported by: Catalyst California, League of Women Voters, Ground Game LA

13. Mandate Periodic Data-Driven Reviews of LAPD Deployment & Equipment

    1. Require modern evidence-based evaluation of deployment strategies and equipment.

       1. Supported by: Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez (CD-1)

14. Strengthen Public Records Disclosure

    1. Require maximum disclosure of law enforcement records allowed under state law and shift burden of proof to the Police Chief for nondisclosure.

       1. Supported by: Catalyst California, League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles, Ground Game LA, LA Forward

15. Embed Racial and Socioeconomic Equity in LAPD Duties

    1. Require LAPD to prioritize equity and constitutional protections in carrying out its powers.

       1. Supported by: Catalyst California, League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles, Ground Game LA

16. Prohibit Pretextual Stops

    1. Ban stops based solely on minor equipment or administrative violations.

       1. Supported by: Catalyst California, League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles, Ground Game LA

17. Explicitly Protect Protests

    1. Clarify that protests are protected activities and separate them from riot/disturbance language.

       1. Supported by: Catalyst California, League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles, Ground Game LA

18. Codify First Amendment Protections

    1. Explicitly protect press freedoms and the public’s right to document police activity.

    2. Supported by: Catalyst California, League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles, Ground Game LA,