LOS ANGELES POLICE COMMISSION INSPECTOR GENERAL

job description

THE POSITION

The Inspector General provides independent oversight and monitoring of the Los Angeles Police Department’s operations, under the direction of the Board of Police Commissioners, a civilian oversight board comprised of five Commissioners appointed by the Mayor. Under the City Charter, the Board of Police Commissioners is the head of the Los Angeles Police Department (“LAPD” or “Department”), setting policies for the Department and overseeing its operation. The Inspector General plans, assigns, organizes and directs the work and resources of professional and clerical personnel engaged in the oversight of the Department, including auditing, investigating, and overseeing the Department's internal disciplinary process, citizen complaint procedures, and use of force investigation and review processes. The Inspector General also acts as an advisor to the Board of Police Commissioners and handles special investigative assignments at its direction; and applies sound supervisory principles and techniques in building and maintaining an effective, diverse and inclusive work force.

The Inspector General, established by Charter amendment and exempted from civil service, reports to and is appointed and removed by the Police Commission. The Inspector General is responsible for auditing, investigating, and overseeing the Police Department’s handling of complaints of misconduct by police officers and civilian employees; conducting investigations of personnel complaints alleging misconduct by the Chief of Police; reviewing and analyzing investigations of personnel complaints; monitoring and evaluating the Department’s internal disciplinary processes; and any other duties as may be assigned by the Police Commission. The Inspector General oversees all investigations and reviews of officer-involved shootings, discharges of firearms, other uses of deadly force, in-custody deaths, and uses of force resulting in hospitalization, and independently reports to the Police Commission on each incident. Additionally, the Inspector General conducts audits and systemic reviews of Department functions and operations, oversees compliance with internal policies and procedures, and ensures that existing policies and procedures are consistent with the law and constitutional policing best practices. The Inspector General has unfettered access to all Departmental documents, records, personnel, and facilities.

The Inspector General is responsible for the full range of supervisory duties including the hiring, application of discipline, training, and evaluation of performance of employees of the Office of Inspector General.

The Inspector General is expected to be a visionary leader with impeccable integrity who values transparency and accountability, is committed to the Office of Inspector General’s oversight mission, demonstrates expert leadership, and provides the Police Commission thoughtful, data driven recommendations.

THE DUTIES

An Inspector General performs the following activities through subordinate supervisors:

• Reviews personnel complaints filed against Department personnel to evaluate investigations and adjudications; and to assess the appropriateness of actions taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

• Supervises, directs and reviews investigations regarding allegations of misconduct by the Chief of Police, and of other matters as directed by the Police Commission.
• Oversees investigations and reviews of categorical use of force incidents, and independently reports to the Police Commission on each incident with an analysis and any policy recommendations.

• Provides technical advice, analysis and recommendations to the Police Commission regarding the Department’s operations, including use of force-related training and policy.
• Supervises, directs and reviews audits of various aspects of the Department’s performance.

• Analyzes and reports upon the effectiveness of the Department’s disciplinary system.

• Establishes and maintains communication with Legal Affairs Division and the City Attorney on matters of mutual concern such as litigation, excessive force, or misconduct to determine whether revisions in policies or procedures might mitigate legal actions against the City.

• Engages in community outreach and engagement to keep the public informed of the Office of Inspector General and Police Commission’s oversight role, including conducting intake of citizen complaints.

• Plans, assigns, directs, coordinates, and evaluates the work of professional and clerical personnel engaged in oversight and auditing activities and the related data input and filing associated with such activities.

• Applies a variety of training techniques to keep subordinates up to date on legal and policy standards related to the use of force, police misconduct, discipline and other public safety issues to maximize the skills and potential of subordinate staff.

• Maximizes productivity through effective communication and motivation of subordinate employees.

• Applies job-related criteria in selecting, orienting, assigning, training, counseling, evaluating, and disciplining subordinates.

• May occasionally be assigned to other duties for training purposes or to meet technological changes or emergencies.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

It is desirable that the Inspector General have the following knowledges and abilities:

A good knowledge of:

• Investigative principles and techniques, sufficient to ensure high quality investigative work by subordinates and to effectively review and analyze investigations performed by Department personnel.

• Criminal law and the elements of offenses in order to review cases and determine whether criminal behavior or misconduct is present.

•Current trends and developments affecting police oversight practices, including use of force policies, police reform initiatives, data-driven methods to detect patterns and/or trends in individual officers or in particular areas of the Department.

• The organization, functions, and procedures of the Police Department and the role of the City Attorney in such areas as, the Board of Rights, discipline, and personnel complaint investigations in order to determine fair and consistent application of disciplinary action, and to facilitate communication with the appropriate Department entities.

• The principles of the administration of discipline in a law enforcement agency to determine if the Department's disciplinary system is functioning in a fair, consistent and effective manner; and to make sound recommendations for revisions to existing regulations to ensure that the Department's objectives and standards are being met.

• Auditing principles, practices, and techniques such as reviewing and analyzing records and conducting interviews to direct the work of subordinate employees who are involved in auditing and monitoring the Department's disciplinary and other systems or performance.

• The major principles, practices, and methods of public administration, budgeting and financial control, personnel administration, administrative analysis, the City's legislative process, and cost accounting, sufficient to direct the activities of employees responsible for auditing and monitoring the Department's disciplinary and other systems or performance.

• Supervisory responsibility for protecting employees from discrimination and harassment, and for upholding principles of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, consistent with the law and City policies.

A working knowledge of:

• Memoranda of understanding as they apply to sworn and civilian personnel.

• City Charter and the Administrative Code as they relate to the Police Department.

• City personnel rules, policies and procedures.

• Local, state, and federal government rules, policies and procedures, including the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights.

• Procedures for grievance handling.

• Legislation related to law enforcement oversight, operations, and regulations, including the retention and release of confidential documents.

The ability to:

• Conduct the duties of the Inspector General listed above in a fair, impartial, and equitable manner.

• Work closely with the Police Commission to identify areas within the Department that require reviews, audits, and/or investigations.

• Develop and implement investigation and audit procedures that are thorough, objective, and impartial.

• Conduct, supervise, and manage administrative investigations.

• Conduct community outreach and work closely, cooperatively and effectively with diverse communities.

• Deal tactfully and effectively with elected officials, Commissioners, Department personnel, other employees, and community members.

• Analyze and evaluate tangible and abstract data and draw sound conclusions.

• Prepare and interpret statistical computations, charts, and diagrams.

• Prepare and direct the preparation of clear, concise, and comprehensive oral and written reports.

• Perform public speaking assignments and handle press relations.

• Recognize and consider trauma-informed perspectives.

• Develop subordinates through performance feedback and motivate subordinates to maximize productivity.

• Establish and maintain a work environment to enhance both employee morale and productivity.

THE REQUIREMENTS

• A bachelor’s degree from a recognized four-year college or university and five years of management experience in public administration, law enforcement oversight, performance or compliance auditing, public policy development, civil or human rights, criminal justice policy, law, investigations, or a related field.

• Experience in investigating, interviewing, and monitoring law enforcement issues and related public policy matters in a major city is desired, but not required.

• A Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited institution and/or a master’s degree with major coursework in public administration, criminal justice, law or a related field is desired, but not required.

THE COMPENSATION

The current annual salary range for the Inspector General is $169,169 to $247,323 .

A highly competitive benefits package includes an independent retirement plan to which both the employee and the City contribute; a multi-option deferred compensation plan; generous vacation and sick leave; 13 paid holidays per year; a flexible benefits plan including multi-option health, dental, and vision coverage; and family and domestic partner leave.

How to apply

TO APPLY

Electronic submittals are required. Interested candidates should immediately submit a resume, cover letter of interest, and four professional references (include name, job title, affiliation, email address, and telephone number) to:

Los Angeles Police Commission

Attn: Cindy So, Senior Personnel Analyst II

Email: PC-ERS@lapd.online

Questions may be referred to Cindy So at (213) 236-1450.

Note: When emailing your application material, the subject line should reflect your name and the Inspector General job title. Interested applicants should submit their application as soon as possible.

This position will be considered “open” until a final selection is made.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply by Friday, January 24, 2025.

THE SELECTION PROCESS

Due to an anticipated large volume of applicants, resumes will be screened against the criteria as outlined. Following the screening process, the most outstanding candidates will be invited to participate in the interview with the Los Angeles Police Commission.

BACKGROUND CHECK AND MEDICAL EXAMINATION REQUIREMENT: Candidates seeking initial employment with the Los Angeles Police Department and the City of Los Angeles must successfully pass a background check and medical examination.

The position of Inspector General is an exempt, at-will position. The individual appointed to this position will not accrue any civil service tenure, contractual employment rights or due process rights. The incumbent may be removed, without cause, by the hiring authority.

exempt employment

If employment is said to be exempt, it is meant that the employment is exempted from the civil service provisions of the City Charter. In order to receive a regular civil service appointment, employees must have successfully participated in a civil service examination, received a high enough score on the examination to be placed on and receive an appointment from an eligible list, and they must serve a probationary period. Exempt employees do not compete in a civil service examination, they are not placed on an eligible list and receive an appointment from that list, nor do they serve a probationary period. As a result, exempt employees do not have what is referred to as a “property interest” in their job. Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority and can be terminated at any time without cause. Employees with a property interest in their job, i.e. civil service employees, cannot be deprived of their employment(discharged or suspended) without due process.

General Information About Exempt Employment

Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority, and as such, they may be discharged, suspended or otherwise disciplined without cause. Exempt employees have no property interest in their employment, and any procedural benefit or other prerogative extended to them by their appointing authority is not intended to create and does not create any such property interest. No officer or employee of the City may make to any other officer or employee any representation of a property interest in employment which does not correspond to Charter provisions unless the City Council, by ordinance, permits such representation. No unauthorized representation can serve as the basis of an employee's reliance on, or expectation of, a property interest.

Employees Seeking To Become Civil Service Employees

There is no protective leave for an exempt employee appointed to a civil service position. Upon receiving a civil service appointment and passing probation, the former exempt employee will be subject to the Civil Service provisions described in Article X of the City Charter. Upon appointment, the civil service employee will begin to accrue displacement and layoff seniority on the first day of his/her civil service appointment and may file for promotional examinations for which s/he qualifies. A full or half-time exempt employee appointed to a full or half-time civil service position continues to: contribute to the Retirement System; accrue vacation time; accrue sick time; receive anniversary date salary increases; and, receive health and dental benefits identical to those received in the civil service position.

Closing Date/Time: 1/24/25

• 

• City of Los Angeles

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