Modesto Police Chief Brandon Gillespie accepted most of the recommendations based on the second independent review of his department’s oversight and accountability systems.
The report, conducted by the OIR Group — a Southern California-based law firm specializing in police oversight — evaluated how the Police Department handled internal investigations throughout 2024. The firm, which has a $451,000 contract over five years with Modesto, serves as the city’s independent police auditor, tasked with bringing greater transparency and accountability to department operations.
The report, which was presented in April, largely commended the department’s practices bit included 12 recommendations for improvement. Gillespie accepted nine and rejected three at last week’s Community Police Review Board meeting.
Rejected recommendations
One recommendation called for officers involved in shootings to be interviewed before the end of their shift to preserve the “investigative purity” of their accounts and to reduce the risk of outside influence…