Public Safety Review

The murder of George Floyd in May 2020 at the hand of a police officer and the resulting worldwide public protests caused many communities, including Culver City, to consider how policing could be reformed to ensure safety and justice for all residents and visitors, including persons of color.

The City continues to reform policing based on these conversations. The actions taken so far are available on Culver City's Police Reform webpage.

A History of the Public Safety Review

City Council held a Special Meeting on June 15, 2020 for the purpose of hearing from the public on Police Department policies and budget. After significant public comment, City Council authorized the Mayor to sign Former President Barack Obama’s Mayor’s Pledge (“Pledge”). The Pledge commits mayors, city councils and police oversight bodies to the following actions:

  • Review police use of force policies.
  • Engage communities by including a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories in the review.
  • Report the findings of the review to the community and seek feedback.
  • Reform the police use of force policies.

City Council also received substantial feedback from the community on the allocation of police resources. There was an overwhelming number of comments from all aspects of the issue of redistributing police services and responsibilities.

At its July 13, 2020 meeting, the City Council approved two proposed processes related to public safety: 1) a plan to review and reallocate public safety resources, services and budgets and 2) a review of the police department’s use of force policy. A copy of the Staff Report for the July 13, 2020 meeting is available online. After receiving community feedback, City Council directed the City Manager’s Office to lead a comprehensive 90-day study and bring back recommendations on options to reimagine public safety in Culver City through shifting resources and reducing the reliance on law enforcement to address various community needs. Council also approved professional agreements with consultants, Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM) to conduct a workload and deployment analysis, review staffing levels and organizational structure and Solidarity Consulting (Mr. Saúl Sarabia) to examine racial equity and social justice as it relates to public safety in Culver City.

The 90-day review was structured to allow for diverse experiences and perspectives from the public. Staff and consultants held several community meetings as well as discussions with the Chief Advisory Panel, Finance Advisory Panel, General Plan Advisory Committee and City employees trained by the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE). There were also six separate focus group discussions held. In addition, members of the public were invited to share their opinions, experiences and priorities related to public safety services, as well as perceptions of the Culver City Police Department (CCPD), via a community survey that was available online and in print.

On October 12, 2020, the City Council heard the City Manager's office's recommendations as well as the initial findings from CPSM and Solidarity Consulting.  The October 12, 2020 meeting agenda includes a copy of the staff report (Item A-1) and attachments.

On January 25, 2021, the City Council discussed the final reports from CPSM and Solidarity Consulting. The January 25, 2021 meeting agenda includes a copy of the staff report (Item A-1) and copies of each of the final reports.

At the April 26, 2021 City Council meeting, the City Council discussed and considered recommendations related to the public safety review reports it received. The April 26, 2021 meeting agenda includes a copy of the staff report (Item A-2) and backup documents. The City Council provided the following direction to City staff, which includes a range of programmatic changes:

Culver City Police Department Staffing Levels

The City Council will establish baseline staffing levels for full-time equivalent sworn personnel through the budget process.  The City Council committed to no layoffs as a result of the public safety review implementation.

Mobile Crisis Intervention Service Program  

City staff will develop a Mobile Crisis Intervention Service (MCIS) program to respond to calls for individuals experiencing issues related to mental health, drug use, being unhoused or other well-being concerns; eventually removing Culver City Police Department's Culver City Mental Health Evaluation Team in a phased approach.

Citizen Public Safety Committee

The Ad Hoc City Council Subcommittee of Mayor Fisch and Council Member McMorrin will work with City staff to make recommendations to the City Council on the creation of a citizen public safety committee to assist and advise with the implementation of the items directed by the City Council. The City Council will consider appointing community members using a sortition system (the selection of members as a random sample from a larger pool of candidates). This Committee will result in eventually transitioning into a public safety services oversight body. 

Coordination with the County of Los Angeles' Program

The City will pursue alignment with the County of Los Angeles’ Alternatives to Incarceration Initiative with the goal of reducing police interaction, arrests and prosecutions for minor misdemeanors.

City Council Budget

The City Council and staff will ensure that adequate funding and staffing is included in the budget documents with an implementation timeline.

Public Safety Operations and Data Analysis Report

The City contracted with the Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM) to conduct a workload and deployment analysis of the Culver City Police Department, review its staffing levels and organizational structure, and provide recommendations for industry best practices related to core police functions. 

Read CPSM's Culver City Police Operations and Data Analysis Report online(PDF, 8MB)

Public Safety Racial Equity and Social Justice Report

The City contracted with Solidarity Consulting (Mr. Saúl Sarabia) to examine racial equity as it relates to public safety at the Culver City Police Department. 

Read the “Culver City Review of Public Safety Services - Recommendations to Advance Racial Equity and Social Justice” report online. (PDF, 459KB)