Police Decertification in California: How it Works

In 2021, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), the Kenneth Ross, Jr. Police Decertification Act of 2021. SB 2 established a statewide system to decertify or suspend officers who have committed serious misconduct.

Under SB 2, the public can report police officers to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). POST will assess the complaint through a multilayer decertification system. SB 2 also makes it easier to sue police who have committed civil rights abuses.

If you've had a negative or abusive interaction with a police officer, we encourage you to use the new law to report the situation. Below is an FAQ that explains how you can initiate this process and what will happen once a complaint is filed. You can also watch a recorded webinar where we explained the process to community activists and impacted families.