OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge has approved a plan to have a court-appointed director oversee the embattled Oakland Police Department.
U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson signed off on the arrangement on Wednesday. It falls short of a complete federal takeover of the department, which Henderson had previously threatened.
But it still vests broad authority in the court-appointed director. The person will have the power to seek the dismissal of the police chief and his command staff and could overrule major department decisions.
City officials had previously agreed to the terms, which stem from a decade-old police brutality lawsuit that resulted in court-ordered reforms of the department.
Henderson said if he doesn't see any acceptable progress, he could still order a full federal takeover.