Head of San Jose’s police watchdog office is out

San Jose Independent Police Auditor Eddie Aubrey is set to retire at the end of the month, marking an abrupt end to his two-year tenure in the oversight role.

The Tuesday announcement comes one week after the Mercury News reported the city had placed Aubrey on leave. City officials have not offered any explanation about Aubrey’s sudden departure from his position leading the Office of the Independent Police Auditor.

Mayor Matt Mahan said the city will conduct a national search for Aubrey’s replacement. In the meantime, Deputy Independent Police Auditor Dwight White will oversee operations at the agency tasked with monitoring officer misconduct within the San Jose Police Department.

“Trust and transparency create safety — and the Independent Police Auditor helps maintain both here in San Jose,” Mahan said in a statement. “I want to thank Eddie Aubrey for his service to our city and urge those who care deeply about justice and accountability to apply for this important position.”

Aubrey’s departure, which will officially take place Sept. 1, has raised eyebrows among South Bay criminal justice reform advocates, who have long called on city leaders to expand the auditor’s oversight authority.

“Complete and full transparency is needed now more than ever,” Richard Konda, executive director at Asian Law Alliance, told San José Spotlight.

The mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Aubrey could not be reached for comment.

Aubrey took over the office in April 2024 during a tumultuous time. He followed Shivaun Nurre, whose five years as the city’s top cop watchdog came to an end in 2023 after a drunken argument with police officers at a public festival. Just months after Nurre left, San Jose’s assistant police auditor quit, leaving a scathing letter criticizing the city for ignoring the office and its recommendations.

Prior to joining the office, Aubrey had already served in a series of similar police oversight roles. That included stints leading the Internal Affairs unit for the Richmond Police Department and serving as independent auditor for the Fresno Police Department.

White, who previously served as inspector general for Sacramento, said he will seek to maintain consistency as he assumes leadership of the office. Presently, he said the agency’s focus is on delivering its annual report on police misconduct, which is set to go before the City Council on Sept. 15.

“Most of our recommendations are going to be community focused, community forward and trying to improve the relationship with police in the community and the respect for community members,” White told San José Spotlight.

The Office of the Independent Police Auditor, first established in 1993, is intended to provide a civilian check on SJPD’s internal investigations of officer misconduct, ensuring such investigations are complete, thorough and fair. However, in recent years, the agency has become a flashpoint in San Jose’s police reform battles, amid complaints that the office’s limited investigative authority hampers its ability to provide meaningful oversight.

Last year, the city council rejected a proposal, supported by Aubrey, to grant the auditor the authority to review all use-of-force cases, rather than just those involving death or great bodily injury. Councilmembers also killed Aubrey’s request to grant his office a higher level of investigatory access in the aftermath of officer-involved shootings.

They were swayed by arguments that the changes would cost too much and open hundreds of new cases up for review.

For some reform advocates, the latest turmoil at the auditor’s office has once again underscored their longstanding frustrations over the limits placed upon the auditor’s powers.

“What we’re looking for is for this office and its mission to be taken seriously,” William Armaline, a San Jose State University sociology professor who serves on the executive board of the NAACP’s South Bay chapter, told San José Spotlight. “There needs to be someone viable and successful and capable in this position. It’s vital for public safety. It’s vital for frankly the functioning of the police department.”

Contact Keith Menconi at [email protected] or @KeithMenconi on X.