{"id":2523526,"date":"2025-12-20T09:46:02","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T14:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/northern-california-city-to-reform-police-after-racist-texts-scandal\/"},"modified":"2025-12-20T09:52:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T14:52:21","slug":"northern-california-city-to-reform-police-after-racist-texts-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/northern-california-city-to-reform-police-after-racist-texts-scandal\/","title":{"rendered":"Northern California city to reform police after racist texts scandal"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnorthern-california-city-to-reform-police-after-racist-texts-scandal%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2523526&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A Northern California city, Antioch, is undertaking police reforms following a scandal involving racist and sexist text messages, excessive force, and falsified records among some officers. The city has reached a settlement agreement stemming from a 2023 civil rights lawsuit that calls for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gen-flynn-a-new-type-of-warfare-is-here-and-our-police-desperately-need-special-training\/\" title=\"Gen. Flynn highlights the urgent need for specialized police ... in the face of evolving warfare tactics\">enhanced police training<\/a>, the creation of an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/musks-neuralink-to-start-human-trials-of-brain-implant-for-paralysis-patients\/\" title=\"Neuralink by Musk to Begin Trials of Brain Implant for Paralyzed Patients.\">independent review board<\/a> for complaints, and a system to identify problematic officers. This follows a broader investigation by the FBI and local prosecutors into police misconduct, which revealed offensive texts and abuses by officers. Several former Antioch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-sheriffs-tell-newsom-they-wont-enforce-covid-curfew\/\" title=\"California Sheriffs Tell Newsom They Won&#039;t Enforce COVID Curfew\">police officers<\/a> have been federally charged and sentenced for their roles in these abuses. City officials and lawyers emphasize that many problematic officers are no longer with the department,and a new command staff is committed to implementing reforms and ensuring constitutional policing in Antioch,a diverse city of approximately 115,000 residents in the San Francisco Bay Area.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Northern California city to reform police after racist texts scandal<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2450158\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash;<\/strong> A Northern <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\">California<\/a> city whose police department came under national scrutiny after it was revealed that some officers shared racist and sexist texts, used excessive force and falsified records has reached a settlement agreement to implement a series of reforms, officials announced Friday.<\/p>\n<p>The City of Antioch, in the San Francisco Bay Area, will enhance police training programs, establish an independent review board to handle complaints and implement a warning system to identify problem officers, according to an agreement that settles a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-issues-temporary-restraining-order-over-student-gender-transition-policy-at-california-school-district\/\" title=\"Judge orders temporary res... order on California school district&#039;s student gender transition policy.\">civil rights lawsuit filed<\/a> in 2023.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3924547\/january-social-security-direct-payment-worth-994-out-11-days\/\">January Social Security direct payment worth $994 goes out in 11 days<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3924765\/third-round-december-social-security-payments-four-days\/\">Third round of December Social Security payments goes out in four days<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3926453\/john-thune-looks-beyond-healthcare-affordability-message\/\">Thune looks beyond healthcare to tackle affordability message<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/3916973\/trump-slows-bleeding-of-independent-voters\/\">TRUMP SLOWS BLEEDING OF INDEPENDENT VOTERS: WHITE HOUSE REPORT CARD<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This agreement allows the Antioch Police Department to start with a clean slate and oversee officers&rsquo; conduct and make sure they are compliant with new standards,&rdquo; said John Burris, who filed the complaint in federal court on behalf of residents who said they were targeted by Antioch police officers.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year, 23 people who were part of the lawsuit reached a $4.6 million settlement with Antioch for monetary damages, Burris said. The city in January announced it would hire a consultant to update its policies, procedures and training on various topics as part of an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;A lot of the bad apples are gone, in jail, retired or left on their own, and there is a new command staff that seems committed to bring about change,&rdquo; Burris said.<\/p>\n<p>Antioch City Manager Bessie Marie Scott said in a statement that the settlement agreement reinforces work already underway and &ldquo;ensures sustainable transparency measures and updates core policies to modernize how APD continues to provide constitutional policing services to the residents of Antioch.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Federal Bureau of Investigation and county prosecutors in March 2022 launched an investigation into police officers in Antioch and Pittsburg, a neighboring city, over a broad range of offenses. As part of the investigation, officials released racist and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >obscenity-laden text messages shared<\/a> by 45 Antioch police officers&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/antioch-police-racist-text-messages-3eeb4c12dae8167c37ffd924385a3a10\">that shocked the community.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3917299\/netanyahu-australia-albanese-antisemitism-shooting\/\">NETANYAHU SAYS HE WARNED AUSTRALIA OF POLICIES FUELING &lsquo;ANTISEMITIC FIRE&rsquo; MONTHS BEFORE SHOOTING<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Officers referred to some suspects as &ldquo;gorillas.&rdquo; They also laughed and joked about harming people who apparently had surrendered or appeared to be asleep by setting a police dog on them or shooting them with a 40 mm &ldquo;less-lethal&rdquo; projectile launcher, according to a federal indictment against three former Antioch police officers.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/california-police-officers-charged-corruption-case-87a376f8aae0bff5cf5d8e6751e18cb6\">Federal prosecutors charged<\/a>&nbsp;Morteza Amiri, Eric Rombough and Devon Christopher Wenger, saying the three former Antioch police officers conspired between February 2019 and March 2022 &ldquo;to injure, oppress, threaten and intimidate residents of Antioch, California&rdquo; and later falsified reports about the encounters.<\/p>\n<p>Wenger was sentenced earlier this month to seven years and six months in federal prison for conspiring to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate residents of Antioch using unreasonable force, conspiring to distribute anabolic steroids, and obstructing justice, federal prosecutors said.<\/p>\n<p>Amiri, a former Antioch K9 officer, was sentenced in June to seven years in prison for maiming someone with his police dog, falsifying reports on that case and being part of a scheme to obtain pay raises from the Antioch Police Department for a university degree he paid someone else to obtain.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3926044\/trump-warns-government-shutdown-obamacare\/\"><strong>TRUMP WARNS OF JANUARY GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN OVER OBAMACARE DURING NORTH CAROLINA SPEECH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Rombough, accused of illegally shooting people with his launcher, pleaded guilty and became a government&rsquo;s witness. He testified against both Amiri and Wenger in their separate trials, the East Bay Times reported. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 13.<\/p>\n<p>Antioch, a city of 115,000 residents about 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of San Francisco, was once predominantly white but has diversified in the last 30 years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Northern California city to reform police after racist texts scandal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":2523527,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP23118802924018-2.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[51050,49515,47689,69153],"class_list":["post-2523526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-law-enforcement-2","tag-northern-california","tag-police-reform","tag-racism-scandal"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP23118802924018-2.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2523526"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523526\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2523530,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523526\/revisions\/2523530"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2523527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2523526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2523526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2523526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}