California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the California Department of Justice (DOJ) has reached an enforceable agreement with the City of Torrance and the Torrance Police Department (TPD) to reform TPD’s policies and practices. The agreement follows a comprehensive independent review conducted by DOJ, which was initiated after concerns about bigoted text messages exchanged among TPD officers surfaced.
The DOJ’s findings and recommendations are detailed in an accompanying report. Under the terms of the agreement, TPD and the City of Torrance will undertake a range of reforms overseen by an independent monitor. These reforms aim to improve organizational health within TPD and enhance its relationship with the community.
“Today’s enforceable agreement is an important step toward improving Torrance Police Department’s practices and policies and strengthening trust between its officers and the community they serve,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “While my office is no stranger to investigating and addressing systemic deficiencies within law enforcement agencies — and we do not take lightly the concerning circumstances that led to this independent review — TPD is a rare agency to proactively seek a review of its policies and practices. I am optimistic that TPD’s cooperation throughout this process, and its commitment to reform, will lead to real results that will allow it to better protect the safety of the community it serves and support the well-being of its personnel. We hope that other agencies take TPD’s lead and use this report as a guide and impetus for their own reform efforts.”
Robert Dunn, Interim Police Chief at Torrance Police Department, stated: “Today is a significant day that will lead to a better future for the Torrance Police Department and the community we serve. We look forward to working together with the DOJ to implement the agreed-upon reforms, which will significantly improve our Department, through better policies and practices, modern technology to track performance, and enhanced transparency. The message to our employees, elected leaders, and the community is clear: The Torrance Police Department has a zero-tolerance policy for hate and discrimination and is committed to constitutional policing. We will diligently work to implement these reforms while fulfilling our mission to keep our community safe and secure.”
Torrance Mayor George K. Chen added: “My colleagues and I on the City Council are united in our support of the collaborative reform announced today between the City, our Police Department, and the Department of Justice. We offer our full support of the collaborative efforts between the State and the City, which will lead to a better future for our Police Department, the City of Torrance and all those who live, work or visit here. Change does not happen overnight and requires the support of personnel and budget; we are committed to working together with the DOJ to improve our Police Department and create a better future for the City of Torrance.”
The independent review began after two former TPD officers were charged in August 2021 by Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office with felony vandalism related to spray painting a swastika on an impounded car in January 2020. Further investigation revealed more than a dozen officers allegedly exchanged racist, homophobic, or antisemitic messages.
Key areas identified for improvement include standards setting, supervision oversight, accountability systems, addressing disparities or bias in policing practices, use-of-force protocols, employment procedures within TPD ranks as well as organizational health measures such as employee wellness resources.
To address these issues over five years:
– TPD will expand data collection/analysis efforts;
– Internal Affairs staffing/training will be evaluated;
– Supervisory standards/expectations clarified with regular training;
– Early Intervention System redesigned with stakeholder input;
– Independent external oversight implemented based on community feedback;
– Efforts made towards fair/impartial policing through regular assessments;
– Use-of-force policies revised alongside new trainings;
– Organizational health initiatives including expanded wellness resources introduced.
Attorney General Bonta noted his office’s ongoing commitment towards building trust between law enforcement agencies across California communities—referencing previous oversight conclusions regarding San Francisco Police Department compliance improvements here as well as settlement agreements requiring similar reforms at Vallejo Police here. Investigations remain active into other departments facing allegations ranging from discriminatory conduct (Antioch), excessive force (Riverside County Sheriff), or jail condition concerns (Santa Clara County Sheriff).
Copies of both enforceable agreement documents plus final reports are available here, here, here.
