Report 2021-105 Recommendation 12 Responses

Report 2021-105: Law Enforcement Departments Have Not Adequately Guarded Against Biased Conduct (Release Date: April 2022)

Recommendation #12 To: Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of

To better assess whether peace officer applicants have the ability to work with diverse members of their communities and whether they possess detectable disqualifying biases, by no later than October 2022 CDCR should proactively seek and attempt to contact secondary references to obtain more candid information about applicants, such as information about past biased conduct or affiliation with hate groups.

6-Month Agency Response

OPOS will add question(s) to the Electronic Statement of Personal History primary reference questionnaire that request secondary reference contacts who can speak to the applicant's character and any noticeable biases.

6-Month Update: Section 5 of the Backgrounds Investigation Procedures (BIP) has been updated. Training specific to this CAP item was completed September 2022.

Supporting documentation will be submitted, per CSA's direction.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Fully Implemented

During our audit, we found that CDCR requested but did not always contact secondary references. CDCR has now provided its updated background investigation procedures, which now require background investigators to contact all secondary references that initial references provide.

60-Day Agency Response

OPOS will add question(s) to the Electronic Statement of Personal History primary reference questionnaire that request secondary reference contacts who can speak to the applicant's character and any noticeable biases.

Proof of Practice Documents will include:

- Primary Reference Questionnaire

- Background Investigation Procedures (Section 5).

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2021-105

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.