Quarterly Newsletter
Peace Officer Standards Accountability Division
Q4 2025
The Peace Officer Standards Accountability Division (POSAD) Quarterly Newsletter is a quarterly status report that informs the California law enforcement community of recent updates, projects, and trainings related to certification and decertification.
A YEAR IN REVIEW: REFLECTIONS AND LOOKING AHEAD
By Annemarie Del Mugnaio, Assistant Executive Director
In keeping with our mission to provide independent oversight that is fair and responsive to the profession of policing, as well as reporting timely information to the public, we reflect on 2025 and our work throughout the past twelve months. The following highlights the matters we examined, the recommendations we issued, and the progress made toward ensuring that the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Division (Division) and POST continue to strive toward greater efficiency in reviewing and adjudicating serious misconduct cases.
In late 2024 and early 2025, POST tackled its tremendous backlog of pending cases by instituting a streamlined review process for cases where agencies reported findings of not sustained, unfounded, or exonerated. At one point, this represented approximately 20,000 cases pending the Division’s review, where the case findings did not demonstrate an act of serious misconduct that would be actionable by POST. With the help of our professional staff and managers, the Division was able to address the backlog, meaning officers who were waiting for a POST outcome or on hold transferring to another agency were given notice of the case closure by POST.
In addition, the Division modified its investigative findings notice, now the Notice of Determination, which is a more succinct and straightforward document notifying a subject peace officer of the Division’s investigative findings into the allegations of serious misconduct. Finally, the Division continues its ongoing outreach to peace officers, law enforcement agencies, the communities, and Mark 43 users by increasing the number and frequency of its in-person training events, web-based Q&A forums, agency in-person visits, and Mark 43 user forums.
Our goal is to remain available to the field for support, education, feedback, and partnership. The work toward a more efficient and transparent program is never done, but we are pleased with how far we’ve come with the cooperation of our law enforcement agencies.
We look forward to the good work ahead in 2026.
Q3 PEACE OFFICER DECERTIFICATION Q&A SESSION
In September 2025, nearly 100 attendees joined the Division for its third live Q&A session on the decertification process.
Law enforcement personnel submitted questions in advance or participated live via Zoom, utilizing the chat feature to ask questions in real-time. During the hour-long session, a panel of three POSAD law enforcement consultants answered more than 30 questions.
Watch the full Q&A session to see if your questions were answered and to hear what others are asking.
ADDRESS OF RECORD STATISTICS
Total Active, Separated, or Retired Peace Officers
- Total Addresses of Records: 43,866
- Personal Address or PO Box Designations: 17,922
- Agency Address Designations: 25,944
Active Peace Officers
- Total Addresses of Records: 39,167
- Personal Address or P.O. Box Designations: 15,167
- Agency Address Designations: 24,000
CURRENT PEACE OFFICER CERTIFICATION AND DECERTIFICATION STATISTICS
The below statistics include a brief summary of total agency misconduct reports (AMR), case volume, and the top three allegations as of December 31, 2025. For further statistics, please visit the POST Data Warehouse.
- Total Approved AMRs: 42,429
- Total Assigned Cases: 36,236
- Total Open Cases: 5,519
- Open Cases w/Agency: 2,843
- Open Cases w/POST: 2,676
- Total Closed Cases: 30,717
- 1205(a)(3) – Physical Abuse: 17,304 allegations
- 1205(a)(5) – Demonstrating Bias: 13,045 allegations
- 1205(a)(2) – Abuse of Power: 7,717 allegations
CURRENT CERTIFICATION ACTION STATISTICS
From January 1, 2025, to December 5, 2025, POST has:
- Issued 77 Immediate Temporary Suspensions.
- Revoked 72 peace officer certifications.
- Sixteen were default revocations, which occur when peace officers who have received notice of revocation proceedings from POST fail to submit an appeal.
- Fifty-six were revocations based on felony or misdemeanor convictions identified in Government Code section 1029, occurring after January 1, 2022.
- Deemed 27 peace officers ineligible due to a felony or misdemeanor conviction identified in Government Code section 1029, occurring before January 1, 2022.
- Received 58 Voluntary Surrenders.
PEACE OFFICER STANDARDS ACCOUNTABILITY ADVISORY BOARD HEARING UPDATE
At the October 2025 hearing, the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board heard two cases – one case involving a dishonesty allegation and the other involving physical abuse. A recommendation for revocation was made in both cases, which were both brought before the POST Commission at the December 2025 meeting. During the meeting, the Commission reviewed the Board’s recommendations and unanimously voted to move both cases forward in the revocation process. POST will begin to initiate proceedings for a formal hearing before an Administrative Law Judge for both cases.
Additionally, on November 6, 2025, the Board, at the direction of the Commission, met to review additional evidence brought forward by the Division for a case originally heard at the Board’s July 2025 hearing. The Commission wanted additional documents before rendering its determination. The Board upheld its prior recommendation of revocation, and the matter now moves forward for review and determination by the Commission.
The next scheduled Board hearing is February 5, 2026, at POST HQ in West Sacramento.
CERTIFICATION BUREAU UPDATE
Updates to Commission Regulations 1003 and 1202
On October 28, 2025, the Office of Administrative Law approved revisions to Commission Regulations 1003 and 1202 related to peace officer attestations and clarification of requirements for POST Professional Certificates for peace officers.
These revisions amend Commission Regulation 1202 to provide additional clarity related to the requirements for peace officers seeking to obtain a Proof of Eligibility (POE), Basic Certificate, or POST Professional Certificate. This amendment specifies the grounds on which a Notice of Appointment may be denied or returned, authorizes the cancellation of a POE or Basic Certificate upon the discovery of fraud or misrepresentation, and clarifies the education, training, and employment requirements for POST Professional Certificates.
These revisions also amend Commission Regulation 1003 to adopt a revised version of the Attestation of Peace Officer Eligibility (POST 2-356) (pdf). This revision includes the addition of a Peace Officer Attestation section to align with POST’s authority to cancel a peace officer’s appointment to the employing agency’s POST Roster, pursuant to Commission Regulations 1202 and 1204. This requires the individual peace officer to attest, under penalty of perjury, to the truth and accuracy of the information they provided during the background investigation process as described in Government Code §§ 1029, 1031, 1031.4, and/or Commission Regulations §§ 1950-1955.
The approved regulatory action became effective upon filing on October 28, 2025. As such, POST will no longer accept attestation forms that do not include the peace officer’s attestation dated after November 14, 2025. The updated Attestation of Peace Officer Eligibility (POST 2-356) (pdf) form can be accessed on the POST Website. Questions regarding these revisions or the updated form may be directed to the Certification Bureau at certificates@post.ca.gov.
Updates to Commission Regulation 1201
On October 24, 2025, the Office of Administrative Law approved revisions to Commission Regulation 1201 to provide additional definitions and amend existing definitions related to the peace officer certification and decertification processes. These regulatory amendments went into effect on October 24, 2025.
These revisions amend Commission Regulation 1201 to clarify how the regulated and general public can identify the status or validity of a peace officer’s certification and/or appointment, eligibility for professional certificates, and terms related to the serious misconduct hearing process. This rulemaking action added the terms Accusation, Cancelled Appointment, Cancelled Certificate, Conditional Certification, Corporal, Default Revocation, Denied Appointment, Denied Certificate Application, Expired, Revoked, and Stipulated Settlement and updated the terms First-level Supervisory Position and Middle Management Position.
Questions regarding these revisions or the updated form may be directed to the Certification Bureau at certificates@post.ca.gov.
INTAKE AND DISPOSITION BUREAU UPDATE
The following is a list of recommendations to help agency Mark43 reporters manage and submit their Mark43 reports.
- In the Agency Misconduct card under Subject of Investigation, enter the subject officer the alleged complaint is filed against.
- Click + Person.
- Enter Subject Officer’s POST ID# or Full Name in the Search for Person field.
- Click on the profile of your subject officer. To prevent the creation of a duplicate profile for a peace officer in Mark43, please check for correctness and utilize the subject officer’s existing POST Profile in Mark43. Do NOT create a new profile for the subject of investigation if the officer’s profile already exists in Mark43.
- Confirm and/or update your user account information in Mark43.
- Click your name (bottom left of Mark43 screen). Click My Account. Click Edit.
- Update your email address if incorrect.
- Provide a direct phone number to you, rather than your agency's dispatch number.
- Check your Mark43 Reports Draft bucket and Rejected bucket.
- Review and complete assigned tasks for rejected reports.
- Finish submitting incomplete draft reports.
- Submit draft reports created in error.
- Agency response when receiving an Agency Notification email of a POST Public Complaint.
- Ensure your agency has responded to each POST Public Complaint with a linked Mark43 report.
- If the POST Public Complaint has any allegation(s) of serious misconduct pursuant to Penal Code section 13510.8 entered in as the type of incident or entered in the narrative, then submit a linked Agency Misconduct Report.
- If the POST Public Complaint does not have any allegation(s) of serious misconduct pursuant to Penal Code section 13510.8 entered in as the type of incident or entered in the narrative, then submit a linked Agency Supplemental Report.
Should you have any questions about responding to a POST Public Complaint, submitting an Agency Misconduct Report, submitting an Agency Supplemental Report, or managing permissions for your Mark43 reports, please contact the Intake and Disposition Bureau at complaintintake@post.ca.gov.
UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
POST Intake and Disposition staff will be conducting several free, in-person and virtual trainings for Serious Misconduct Reporting with Mark43. To sign up for one of the below training courses, please visit EventBrite.
Virtual POST Mark43 Agency User Training
- Wednesday, February 25, 2026
- Wednesday, August 5, 2026
In-Person POST Mark43 Role Agency User Training
- Wednesday, May 6, 2026, POST HQ in West Sacramento
- Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Location TBD
FREQUENTLY USED FORMS
UPCOMING ADVISORY BOARD HEARING DATES
February 5, 2026
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
POST Headquarters
860 Stillwater Road, Suite 100
West Sacramento, CA 95605
UPCOMING POST COMMISSION HEARING DATES
March 5, 2026
9:00 AM – Until Adjourned
Caltrans District 11 Office
Gallegos Room
4050 Taylor Street
San Diego, CA 92110
View all upcoming meetings.
DISTRICT CONTACTS
The State of California has been separated into districts. Below are consultant contacts.
View Map
Professional Conduct Northern Bureau
Professional Conduct Central Bureau
Professional Conduct Southern Bureau