Oakland Police Department may be near the end of federal oversight

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) - The Oakland Police Department might be closer to moving on from a federal oversight program. 

For almost two decades, the department has been under review to address allegations of police brutality and civil rights issues. 

On Thursday, Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong weighed in on the possible lift of the monitoring. 

Federal oversight might be closer to being over for the Oakland Police Department. 

A pair of local civil rights attorneys who pushed for the outside monitoring say significant changes may allow the oversight to end.

“It's good to see that we're being recognized for the work that's being done but we have not crossed the finish line,” Chief LeRonne Armstrong said. 

Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong addressing the possible end of the nearly 20-year program. 

The oversight was set to end in 2008 after the department completed 52 court-ordered tasks. 

OPD remains without full compliance on five of those reforms.

“We are still meeting with the federal monitor to make sure that we're meeting all of our mandates but there's still more work that we need to do,” Chief Armstrong said.  

Once over, the program would not end immediately. 

The police department has to first be able to show the reforms can last for at least a year without any outside intervention. 

The talks to settle the oversight are expected to take place beginning next month. 

“I think we can really be a model for what it looks like to reform a police department and come up with progressive policies and practices,” Chief Armstrong said. 

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