Oakdale police officers were out of compliance in state-mandated training, grand jury says

The Stanislaus County Civil Grand Jury found that as many as half of the Oakdale Police Department’s officers were out of compliance with state-mandated training over a period of several years.

The investigation was prompted by a complaint by an Oakdale resident who claimed OPD officers ineffectively handled a domestic violence call in 2021.

The grand jury found that in the latter part of that year, half of OPD’s 14 patrol officers were out of compliance with domestic violence training, according to a report released in June.

Of particular concern, according to the report, was that three of the officers were out of compliance in domestic violence training for three to four years and another was out of compliance for seven years.

A statement released by the Police Department said, “The OPD Management Team and Training Unit agree that officers enrolled in ongoing training are better equipped with prevailing practices and skills, enabling them to respond to the job’s challenges and perform their duties proficiently. OPD is committed to adhering to POST training requirements and state-mandated training to ensure the safety and well-being of our community and our officers, and we work continuously to improve our policies and procedures to better serve the needs of our community.”

City Manager Bryan Whitemyer added that the numbers cited in the report include officers on workers’ compensation or light duty status, who are not able to attend training.

Oakdale Police Chief Jerry Ramar said the city received only one complaint regarding the handling of a domestic violence call in 2021 and an internal affairs investigation determined the accusations were unfounded.

Officers out of compliance with other mandated training

In 2022, OPD responded to 116 domestic calls, according to the grand jury report.

“Domestic calls are potentially the most dangerous calls law enforcement handles. Peace officers must be prepared to manage these calls to ensure everyone’s safety,” the report says.

While the grand jury focused on domestic violence training, it also found that officers were out of compliance in perishable skills training, which is required by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST).

POST requires that officers complete training every two years for use of force, tactical firearms, driver training, arrest and control and strategic communication.

The grand jury found that a minimum of four officers were out of compliance with mandated training pursuant to state law and POST regulations as of Jan. 1, 2023.

The Bee contacted POST Monday. A spokesperson directed The Bee to send questions about the report by email but said no one would be available to provide an answer for several days due to the Fourth of July holiday.

A POST certificate is required in order to become a peace officer, but POST does not have the authority to suspend or revoke an officer’s certificate for lack of training, according to the grand jury report.

But “there could be exposure for the city for liability,” said Oakdale Councilman Fred Smith, who is a reserve deputy with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office.

The grand jury agreed, saying a lack of training could result in “less effective policing” for the residents of Oakdale and could be introduced as evidence against an officer and the agency in the event of a lawsuit.

City staff ‘not taking it seriously,’ councilman says

Smith said he became aware of the training issue shortly after being elected in 2020. He said he brought it to the attention of Whitemyer and the police chief at the time, Scott Heller, but felt they were dismissive of the issue.

“The big deal to me is that the staff was not taking it seriously,” Smith said. “I think that the report is necessary to maybe change some things in the city.”

“The community of Oakdale deserves a little better but the officers also deserve better,” Smith added. “It is up to the department and their management to schedule training.”

Whitemyer said Smith did not not address the issue with him until January 2023. He said the city does take the issue of training seriously and appreciates the grand jury’s report.

“All of this at the end of the day was helpful because we want to comply,” Whitemyer said. “It was our goal before we missed the mark, it is our goal going forward.”

According to the report, Oakdale officials told grand jury members that COVID-19 restrictions, scheduling conflicts and class unavailability were the primary reasons for falling behind on training.

“Based upon facts gathered during (grand jury’s) investigation, none of those reasons were found to have merit,” the report says.

The report says that the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Regional Training Division was closed in April and May of 2020 due to COVID restrictions but that makeup sessions were offered later in the year and that other training went on as scheduled. The division offered training courses almost monthly, according to the report.

Whitemyer said getting officers into training during the pandemic was harder for small departments like Oakdale.

“Sometimes they have to make choices, we have to have people patrolling the town,” he said. “Smaller agencies, we have to be judicious in how we schedule our officers for training. Our ultimate goal is that everyone receives the appropriate training in the appropriate time as required by POST or the state of California.”

As of June 5, all officers working on patrol are in compliance, Ramar said.

The chief “will provide a response to the Grand Jury report at a regularly scheduled City Council meeting later this summer,” according to the statement from the Police Department.