After year-long debate, San Jose City Council rejects expanded powers for police auditor

One year after a consultant said San Jose should expand the powers of the city’s police watchdog, city leaders have shot down the recommendation.

The San Jose City Council rejected a proposal 8-2 Tuesday to give the Independent Police Auditor’s (IPA) office increased authority, including the right to directly investigate some alleged police misconduct cases. The council majority instead voted to begin pursuing tweaks and improvements to the current police oversight model, including creating a uniform set of policies to guide how the IPA and San Jose Police Department’s internal affairs unit work together.