Independent Public Oversight
Following the money.
Watching the watchers.
CHP Watchdog is an independent, citizen-led initiative tracking spending, overtime practices, and accountability within the California Highway Patrol — using only public records and verifiable data.
Key Findings
Sourced from audits, court records, AG press releases, and investigative reporting.
California State Controller audit (2015–2018) found material weaknesses in CHP payroll controls — including missing supervisory review and improper system access.
CA State Controller Payroll Audit
East LA station overtime fraud scheme: 302 counts filed covering $226,556 in alleged false claims. A judge later dismissed charges against 48 of the 54 officers.
CA Attorney General / Court Records
CHP internal affairs found inconsistencies in over 50 of ~100 citations issued in 2023. Despite prosecutors calling the evidence 'overwhelming,' the officer received diversion.
Investigative Reporting / IA Findings
An on-duty CHP employee broke into the HQ evidence room (2007–2008), stealing 64 kilograms of cocaine. Pled guilty; sentenced to 5 years 8 months in state prison.
Orange County DA Press Release
What We Track
Categories of misconduct identified across CHP and major U.S. law enforcement agencies, derived from commission reports, federal analyses, and audit findings.
Financial / Time Integrity
- · Payroll fraud & false claims
- · Overtime theft & shift fraud
- · Timecard manipulation
Case Integrity
- · Evidence theft & tampering
- · Falsified reports
- · Perjury ('testilying')
Civil Rights / Force
- · Excessive force patterns
- · Unconstitutional stops & searches
Abuse of Authority
- · Sexual misconduct / quid pro quo
- · Bribery & kickbacks
- · Obstruction & cover-ups
Active Investigations
Nothing is published without verification through public records. We'd rather be slow and right.
Overtime Compensation Patterns — Statewide CHP
Analyzing publicly available compensation data for anomalous overtime patterns across CHP offices using TransparentCalifornia and publicpay.ca.gov datasets.
Fleet Maintenance & Procurement Spending
Public records request filed for vehicle maintenance contracts and procurement records, FY2022–2025.
Disciplinary Action Transparency
Compiling publicly available data on officer disciplinary outcomes under SB 1421 and SB 16.
Our Approach
Public Records Only
Every investigation starts with CPRA requests. We don't rely on rumors — we follow the documents.
Facts First, Always
Anonymous tips are investigative leads, never published raw. Nothing goes live without independent verification.
No Political Agenda
We're not anti-cop. We're pro-accountability. Good officers benefit from a system that catches fraud and waste.
Open Methodology
Our data sources, analysis methods, and records requests are published. You can verify our work. That's the point.