Attorney General Bonta Announces Enforceable Agreement with Torrance Police Department to Strengthen Community Trust, Improve Policing Policies and Practices

Releases report on independent review of Torrance Police Department  

TORRANCE – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced that the California Department of Justice (DOJ) has entered into an enforceable agreement with the City of Torrance and the Torrance Police Department (TPD) to reform TPD's policies and practices and improve accountability. The agreement is the culmination of DOJ’s comprehensive independent review of TPD, the details of which can be found in the accompanying report with DOJ’s findings and recommendations. The review was initiated after the previous Torrance Chief of Police requested assistance amid deeply concerning bigoted text messages exchanged among TPD officers. As part of the agreement, the City of Torrance and TPD will engage in a comprehensive set of reforms — to be overseen by an independent monitor — to improve TPD’s organizational health and its relationship with the community so that it can advance public safety and constitutional policing practices. 

“Today’s enforceable agreement is an important step toward improving Torrance Police Department’s practices and policies and strengthening trust between its officers and the community they serve,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “While my office is no stranger to investigating and addressing systemic deficiencies within law enforcement agencies — and we do not take lightly the concerning circumstances that led to this independent review — TPD is a rare agency to proactively seek a review of its policies and practices. I am optimistic that TPD’s cooperation throughout this process, and its commitment to reform, will lead to real results that will allow it to better protect the safety of the community it serves and support the well-being of its personnel. We hope that other agencies take TPD’s lead and use this report as a guide and impetus for their own reform efforts.”

“Today is a significant day that will lead to a better future for the Torrance Police Department and the community we serve,” said Robert Dunn, Interim Police Chief, Torrance Police Department. “We look forward to working together with the DOJ to implement the agreed-upon reforms, which will significantly improve our Department, through better policies and practices, modern technology to track performance, and enhanced transparency. The message to our employees, elected leaders, and the community is clear: The Torrance Police Department has a zero-tolerance policy for hate and discrimination and is committed to constitutional policing. We will diligently work to implement these reforms while fulfilling our mission to keep our community safe and secure.”  

“My colleagues and I on the City Council are united in our support of the collaborative reform announced today between the City, our Police Department, and the Department of Justice,” said Torrance Mayor George K. Chen. “We offer our full support of the collaborative efforts between the State and the City, which will lead to a better future for our Police Department, the City of Torrance and all those who live, work or visit here. Change does not happen overnight and requires the support of personnel and budget; we are committed to working together with the DOJ to improve our Police Department and create a better future for the City of Torrance.”

In August 2021, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged two former TPD officers with felony vandalism and conspiracy to commit vandalism for allegedly spray painting a swastika on a car they had been involved in impounding in January 2020. The investigation into the two officers revealed that more than a dozen officers had allegedly exchanged racist, homophobic, and antisemitic messages. Following a request for assistance from then-TPD Chief Jeremiah “Jay” Hart, DOJ initiated an independent review to identify and address systemic failures in TPD’s policies and practices.

As part of the independent review, DOJ made findings on various areas in need of improvement, including to systems for standards, supervision, oversight, and accountability; disparities and bias in policing; use of force; community policing; employment practices; and organizational health. To address these concerns, DOJ, TPD, and the City of Torrance worked cooperatively to establish a five-year plan that provides for an extensive range of actions, including: 

• Improving and Strengthening Systems for Setting Professional Standards, Supervision, and Accountability:

• TPD will expand and improve its data collection and analysis and regularly and consistently engage in data analysis for the purpose of recognizing, understanding, and responding to positive and negative trends, disparities, and areas for improvement in its policing practices, equipment, and operations; 
• TPD will evaluate and identify the appropriate staffing to carry out the Internal Affairs functions, and should ensure there is timely, thorough, in-depth Internal Affairs training, specifically for administrative investigations; 
• TPD will set and communicate clearer and stronger standards and expectations for its supervisors. TPD will also assess what additional training is needed to support supervisors in meeting those standards and expectations and ensure supervisors receive that training on a timely and regular basis, along with ongoing mentoring and coaching. Evaluations of supervisors will correlate directly with the established standards and expectations to ensure both growth and accountability; and 
• TPD will redesign its Early Intervention System, which flags potential problems or misconduct, with input from internal and community stakeholders, to align with best and emerging practices and the agency’s stated mission and values.

• Implementing Independent External Oversight: Informed by input from community stakeholders, the City and TPD will implement independent external oversight with sufficient authority and resources to carry out identified functions and ensure there is transparency, accountability, and engagement with the community.

• Addressing Disparities and Bias in Policing: TPD will address the need for fair and impartial policing with a multipronged, strategic approach, which will include  regular, data-driven assessments to ensure that specific enforcement approaches and initiatives do not target or have a disparate impact.

• Improving Use of Force Policies and Training: TPD will revise use of force policies — and develop additional policies, as needed — to align with best practices. TPD will also revise its use of force and field tactic trainings. 

• Addressing Organizational Health: TPD will assess and expand its employee wellness resources, identify and address barriers to access, and work to improve the Department’s culture around mental health and wellness more generally.  

Attorney General Bonta is committed to strengthening trust between local law enforcement and the communities they serve as one key part of the broader effort to increase public safety for all Californians. Last year, Attorney General Bonta announced the conclusion of DOJ oversight of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), after SFPD achieved substantial compliance with recommended reforms to its policing policies and practices. And he secured a settlement agreement with the City of Vallejo and the Vallejo Police Department requiring reforms to the department’s policies and practices. Attorney General Bonta is also engaged in ongoing pattern or practice investigations into the Antioch Police Department stemming from allegations of bigoted text messages and other potentially discriminatory misconduct, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department following allegations of excessive force, and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office relating to conditions of confinement in jail facilities.

A copy of the enforceable agreement, along with the final written report with findings and recommendations and TPD’s response to the final written report, are available here, here, and here.