The Latest: State to track changes by San Francisco police

SAN FRANCISCO – The Latest on California’s attorney general overseeing reforms at the San Francisco Police Department (all times local):

12:35 p.m.

The San Francisco police chief says his department will be the first in the nation to get voluntary state oversight after the federal government ended a police reform program from the Obama era.

San Francisco was among at least 15 departments nationwide that sought help from the U.S. Department of Justice after deadly police shootings or other problems.

However, the agency opted last year to no longer provide resources or guidance for the Community Oriented Policing Services program.

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott says he’s pleased the California Department of Justice will step in to continue overseeing the reforms intended to heighten credibility and transparency.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the change on Monday. Becerra says then-Mayor Ed Lee sought his help to continue the program.

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7 a.m.

California’s attorney general says his office will oversee reforms at the San Francisco Police Department after the U.S. Department of Justice’s decision to scale back a program that helped departments improve community relations.

Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced an agreement Monday with San Francisco and its police department to evaluate the implementation of reforms recommended by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Obama Administration.

As part of an Obama-era policing program, law enforcement agencies had been receiving advice and technical assistance to improve their practices in areas such as officer use-of-force, racial bias, community policing, accountability, recruitment and hiring.

In September 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the policing program would no longer provide resources or guidance. It also advised San Francisco it would no longer provide review of the proposed reforms.