CA Settles With Vallejo Police After Officer Shootings: Authorities

VALLEJO, CA — California’s attorney general announced a settlement with the city of Vallejo and its police department that will require the agency to undergo reforms after allegations that law enforcement engaged in a pattern of unconstitutional conduct, according to authorities.

The settlement follows repeated high-profile use of force and officer-involved shootings within the department, authorities said.

“It’s past time the people of Vallejo have a police department that listens and guarantees that their civil rights are protected,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news release. “My office is committed to protecting the rights of the people of Vallejo by overseeing and enforcing the agreement, and working collaboratively with VPD and the city and ensuring a fair, thorough, and transparent process.”

The settlement will be in effect until its terms are met and allows the justice department to enforce the agreement by bringing legal action against the Vallejo police in court, according to authorities.

Under the settlement’s terms, the police department must hold officers and supervisors accountable for failing to address unreasonable force; define and limit pretextual stops; and ensure stops, searches and seizures are legal, authorities said.

Police must audit incidents in which an officer points a gun at a member of the public or brandishes a firearm in the public’s presence to ensure such occurrences are not happening solely in response to potential risk, according to authorities.

The agency must work with an independent evaluator and the justice department to develop a protocol for calls involving a mental health issue, using trained civilian staff when appropriate, authorities said.

The settlement comes after a June 2020 memorandum of understanding called for a modernized police plan with 45 reform recommendations, according to authorities. Upon the memorandum’s expiration in 2023, the justice department determined Vallejo police failed to enforce the law uniformly, authorities said. The settlement, executed Monday, replaces an unsigned stipulated judgment from October 2023, according to authorities.