PSPD motorcycle officers back on duty as reforms take hold; crash case heads to prosecutor ⋆ The Palm Springs Post

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*Palm Springs motorcycle officers are seen stopping motorists along Palm Canyon Drive. (File photo)*

The Palm Springs Police Department is implementing significant safety reforms and returning motorcycle officers to duty this week following a comprehensive administrative review of the Dec. 7, 2024 Festival of Lights parade accident that injured 12 people.

In an interview Monday, Police Chief Andy Mills said the reforms come at the same time the criminal investigation by the California Highway Patrol has concluded and been forwarded to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. The DA will now determine whether charges will be filed against the motorcycle officer involved in the crash or any others.

“We are committed to ensuring an incident like this never happens again,” Mills said. “The Palm Springs Police Department remains dedicated to accountability and the safety of our community.”

Mills said the administrative review revealed multiple systemic failures that contributed to the accident, including a supervisor-to-employee ratio of 75-to-1 at the event and what Mills described as “mission drift” where officers began entertaining crowds rather than focusing on public safety.

“There was a lack of oversight management at that event,” Mills said Monday afternoon. “That should have been caught by every single manager who works in our police department, and it wasn’t, including me. So we own this.”

The accident occurred when several officers performed unauthorized maneuvers without coordination or clear communication, causing one officer to lose balance. The officer fell, and the motorcycle slid into the crowd, injuring 12 people. Many of the victims are pursuing claims against the city.

“Nobody authorized those guys to turn the tight circles, to pop wheelies, to lift their wheel off the ground,” Mills said. “There are four motor officers. One didn’t do any, and then three did them in an effort to try and entertain the crowd.”

The department’s review found that over approximately 10 years, the officers’ mission had gradually shifted from crowd safety to entertainment.

“Our mission there is to prepare the way for the floats to get down the street safely by getting people out of the street,” Mills said. “The mission drift evolved over multiple years that they could entertain the crowd while they’re doing it.”

Officer fatigue was also identified as a contributing factor, with Mills noting that officers had worked extensive overtime for other events leading up to the parade.

The reforms being implemented include requiring a police captain at every major event, supported by two lieutenants and sergeants managing different groups. A new citywide policy will prohibit risky behavior by officers and parade participants and limit all police and fire vehicles to under 15 miles per hour unless there is an emergency.

The department is also hiring a full-time special event supervisor to focus solely on large event planning and crowd safety, and establishing clearer protocols for communication between traffic sergeants and motor officers during large events.

*The aftermath of an incident involving a PSPD motorcycle officer who crashed into the crowd attending a holiday parade last December, injuring a dozen people.* *(File photo: NBC Palm Springs)*

“We’re taking meaningful action not only to reform the way we operate, but to rebuild the public’s trust,” said City Manager Scott Stiles in a news release.

The department’s motorcycles were parked for nearly nine months while the investigations proceeded. Mills confirmed officers will return to duty on motorcycles this week after completing retraining on ethical behavior and motorcycle operations.

Three separate investigations were launched following the incident. The criminal investigation by the California Highway Patrol has been completed and sent to the district attorney’s office. The administrative review examining how the accident happened has been concluded, leading to the announced reforms. An internal affairs investigation examining potential policy violations is ongoing and cannot proceed until the criminal investigation is resolved.

Mills described the incident as “one of the darkest days in the history of the Palm Springs Police Department” and emphasized that the department conducted a thorough review involving every manager.

The new protocols will apply to all parade participants, not just police officers.

“Everybody must adhere to state law,” Mills said, noting that Veterans Day parade participants have been observed riding without helmets and performing dangerous maneuvers.