New Independent Police Auditor to Present First Report

The City’s newly appointed Independent Police Auditor will present her first informational monthly status report and update on several pending police oversight initiatives at Thursday’s Pasadena Community Police Oversight Commission meeting.

Teresa Magula, managing owner of OIR Group and a 17-year veteran of police oversight, will brief Commissioners on projects including a mediation program, pretext stops review, and an early warning system for officer conduct, according to the agenda for the Feb. 13 meeting.

The presentation, listed as Agenda Item 3 and designated as an informational item requiring no formal vote, will outline progress on six major oversight initiatives currently underway.

These include two critical incidents pending administrative review, with one Review Board scheduled for Feb. 11, and a third incident awaiting both criminal and administrative examination.

The outside OIR Group is a team of independent police practices experts whose members “have devoted their careers to monitoring, auditing, evaluating, or otherwise reviewing the performance of law enforcement agencies,” according to the presentation materials. The organization has “a proven record of building and maintaining relationships with diverse entities and groups, while preserving our independence and critical outside perspective.”

Magula, who previously served with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Office of the Inspector General, holds a master’s degree in public policy specializing in crime policy from UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs. She currently serves as the Independent Police Auditor for several California agencies.

The status update will cover developments in establishing a mediation program, for which a vendor is being sought after policy approval, and progress on pretext stops following completion of a survey report. Commissioners will evaluate next steps on the pretext stops initiative.

Additional projects include finalizing policy and establishing thresholds for an early warning system, while seeking vendors and software solutions. The Independent Police Auditor also reported attending one Vehicle Pursuit Review Board and will continue to attend both Vehicle Pursuit and Use of Force Review Boards.

The Independent Police Auditor is working with the Pasadena Police Department and Oversight Commission to frame an audit plan, establish audit topics, and determine whether to use sampling or full review methodology for various oversight functions.

The public meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Pasadena City Hall, Room S249, located at 100 North Garfield Avenue. Community members can attend in person or participate virtually during the public comment period.

For more information about OIR Group’s oversight work, the public can visit www.oirgroup.com or contact them at Info@OIRGroup.com or (310) 906-0259.