Jensen Hughes, the firm hired to evaluate the Vallejo Police Department’s compliance with state-ordered reforms, will host a community meeting on Monday to provide a status update and gather input from residents.
“We invite the Vallejo community to participate in a listening session to share their perspectives regarding the Vallejo Police Department,” an event flyer reads. “We would also like to hear about your experiences with VPD and the outcomes you would like to see under the reform work.”
The California Department of Justice sued the Vallejo Police Department in October 2023 following a failed, three-year voluntary reform effort. The DOJ lawsuit alleged that Vallejo police exhibited a “pattern and practice of excessive and unreasonable force,” with the impact felt disproportionately by people of color in the community. Members of the department have shot 46 people over the past two decades, many fatally, according to Open Vallejo research.
Last April, the state DOJ settled the lawsuit with Vallejo rather than proceed with a consent decree overseen by Solano County Superior Court Judge Stephen Gizzi, who expressed reservations about signing off on the agreement. The settlement agreement includes dozens of reforms related to use-of-force policies and training, bias-free policing, searches and seizures, crisis intervention training, community policing, and complaint review processes.
The first year of mandatory reforms is focused on improving the use of force by officers and handling of personnel complaints, “as they have the most direct impact on community safety and the quality of police community interactions,” according to the year-one work plan.
At the first listening session hosted by Jensen Hughes last August, dozens of Vallejoans voiced concerns about the police department’s low staffing and slow response times to emergency calls. Several attendees called for cultural change, new leadership, and more transparency, accountability, and community engagement from the department.
In December, City Manager Andrew Murray selected Jason Ta, a former deputy police chief who served as interim chief for more than two years, to lead the Vallejo department on a permanent basis.
The community meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, in the Vallejo Room at City Hall, 555 Santa Clara Street. It will be accessible for Spanish and Tagalog speakers, according to Jensen Hughes. The firm will post meeting notes on the Vallejo Evaluator website following the event.
In an email sent Wednesday afternoon, the ACLU of Northern California encouraged Vallejoans to attend Monday’s meeting and provide feedback to the evaluation team, noting that “it’s crucial for them to hear your voice.”
