Vallejo police took their complaint process on the road Thursday night, unveiling a draft overhaul of the department’s personnel-complaint policy and asking residents to weigh in. Department leaders walked through proposed changes to how complaints are received, investigated and reported, saying the update is meant to make the system more transparent and easier for the public to navigate.
The session ran from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Vallejo Room at the John F. Kennedy Library, with the city offering a hybrid setup for anyone who could not make it downtown. According to the City of Vallejo, the event was streamed on the city’s website and hosted as a Zoom webinar. The packet lists the webinar link as well as the meeting ID (814 4681 4741) and password (131313) for remote viewers.
How People Tuned In
The Vallejo Police Department also pushed the town hall on its Facebook page, sharing links to the department’s Zoom participation page and a YouTube livestream. The post includes links to the draft policy documents and step-by-step instructions for submitting written feedback, according to the Vallejo Police Department.
What the Draft Policy Would Change
The proposed policy would set up a new online public portal for filing complaints, update complaint forms in English, Spanish and Tagalog, and formally spell out anti-retaliation protections and annual public reporting. It also calls for recording interviews during internal investigations and clarifies that administrative findings must meet a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard, as outlined by My Vallejo.
Oversight Pressure and Legal Backdrop
The revision comes as Vallejo remains under long-running state scrutiny and a 2024 settlement that requires police reforms, according to the California Department of Justice. Separate investigations have documented delays and problems in how the department handled misconduct and use-of-force reviews in earlier years, a history detailed by Open Vallejo / ProPublica that advocates say the new complaint rules are intended to address.
What Happens Next
Officials opened the draft policy for public comment through April 24 and used Thursday’s town hall as an additional public forum before the proposal heads to local oversight bodies, according to Vallejo Sun. The department says the draft and related complaint forms remain posted online for residents to review.
Drafts and complaint forms are available on the city’s MyVallejo portal and the Vallejo Police Department website, and the department said it will continue accepting written feedback through its online portal and through the city clerk’s office for those who need accommodations. Residents with questions about the process can contact the city clerk or the department directly for more details.
