Frequently Asked Questions

Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is an independent department in the City of Oakland. We monitor and audit the Oakland Police Department (OPD) and the Community Police Review Agency (CPRA) to make sure they are compliant with legal standards and best practices. Our goal is to help them use the best possible policies and procedures so they keep our community safe.

In November 2020, 81% of Oakland voters approved Measure S1, establishing the OIG as an independent civilian oversight agency because they wanted more transparency and accountability in local policing. To keep the OIG independent, the Inspector General reports to the Oakland Police Commission, a group of civilian residents, rather than the Mayor, the City Administrator, or the Chief of Police. This structure allows the OIG to review policies and procedures through a community-focused lens.

No. The OIG does not conduct investigations into individual misconduct complaints. If you wish to file a complaint regarding a specific encounter with an OPD officer, please contact the Community Police Review Agency (CPRA) or OPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau.

The OIG’s role is to look at the big picture: auditing OPD’s policies, training, and compliance with the law to make sure the entire system is working fairly and transparently. If you have concerns about specific policies or practices, please email oig@oaklandca.gov.

All recommendations live in our public reports, which can be viewed on our Published Reports page. We also publish a quarterly newsletter and regularly update the Oakland Police Commission about our work.

The OIG does not have enforcement power over OPD or CPRA and cannot issue subpoenas. The Oakland Police Commission is the only police oversight entity within the City of Oakland that has administrative subpoena power.  

Our power comes from transparency. When we find an issue, we build recommendations and then: 

• Our recommendations are made public so the community, including the Mayor and City Council, can see them. 
• We report our findings to the Oakland Police Commission, which does have the authority to oversee and require changes of these agencies. 
• We track whether these agencies accept or ignore our recommendations, and whether they are moving towards implementing the recommendations. 

No. Despite the name, the OIG is strictly a civilian oversight agency for the Oakland Police Department. We do not conduct inspections of buildings, homes, or construction projects.

The National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) is a non-profit organization that works to create a community of support for independent, civilian oversight entities that seek to make their local law enforcement agencies, jails, and prisons more transparent, accountable, and responsive to the communities they serve. Established in 1995, NACOLE is incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland. The organization has an elected board of directors, which is composed of individuals in the field of citizen oversight of law enforcement, jails and prisons. The board manages the organization pursuant to a set of by-laws.

The Association of Inspectors General (AIG) is a non-profit, membership organization for agencies and professionals in the inspector general community. Our mission is to promote “excellence in the inspector general community by establishing and encouraging adherence to quality standards, sponsoring professional development and networking opportunities, certifying individuals in IG-specific disciplines, supporting offices in governmental and external relations, and inspiring governmental entities to embrace the inspector general model as an effective tool in the fight to combat waste, fraud and abuse.