Santa Ana appoints its first police oversight director, paving the way for investigations into possible misconduct

The Santa Ana City Council appointed its first director to lead the city’s Police Oversight Commission, paving the way for investigations into complaints and police policies.

The council approved T. Jack Morse to lead the group, which was created to increase transparency and accountability in the Santa Ana Police Department. But the council also proposed sweeping changes at Tuesday’s meeting that could make it harder for the commission to launch investigations and make policy changes.

Morse previously worked in the civil rights division for the Department of Justice and Orange County’s Office of Independent Review, where he led investigations into the Sheriff’s Department. He currently serves as a reserve officer with the Los Angeles Police Department.

“I want to make policing more effective, and I want to bridge that gap between the police department and the community, where it exists,” Morse said.

The commission was created in 2022, but has never investigated complaints or issued police policy changes, and it’s unclear if that could change with its newly appointed director.

“The bulk of the oversight duties really falls on the commissioners themselves,” Morse said. “I look forward to working with them, understanding what their agenda is, and helping them to implement that.”

What are the proposed changes to the commission?

The City Council is proposing that the commission only receive, hear and review in-custody deaths and unlawful activities that potentially interfere with First Amendment rights. Complaints made outside of those parameters will be forwarded to the SAPD’s police chief — not the commission.

Previous complaints regardless of category were sent only to the commission in order for cases to be independently reviewed.

The suggested changes would also limit the commission’s ability to investigate possible police misconduct by only looking into complaints that have already been investigated by the police department.

Another proposed change includes how the commission’s director reports to the city. They previously reported to the City Council, but would now report to the city manager.

According to the City Council’s agenda, the changes are meant to align with state law and best practices in law enforcement accountability.

The council will meet again to discuss the proposed commission changes on July 15.

What are critics saying?

Commissioner Carlos Perea urged the council in a letter to reject the proposed changes.

“These changes would fundamentally undermine the purpose, integrity, and effectiveness of the Commission, reducing it to a symbolic body with no meaningful oversight authority,” Perea wrote.

Bulmaro Vicente, policy and political director of Chispa, a Latino advocacy group, said the changes reverse years of community-led progress.

“When we worked alongside the city attorney's office to draft the original ordinance, we made sure every power was fully compliant with state law,” Vicente said. “These proposed changes aren’t about legality. They're about politics.”

Local police oversight remains critical in light of the recent immigration activity and protests, according to Sergio Perez, executive director of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law.

“These changes bring this commission farther away from being a useful tool for transparency and accountability,” Perez said. “We're getting farther and farther away from an earnest and honest attempt at creating what Santa Ana really needs, which is real resident impact and role in deciding the tenor, tone and rules that govern its policing.”

What’s next

The Police Oversight Commission’s next public meeting is scheduled for July 10 at City Hall. You can also listen virtually on the city’s YouTube livestream.