A Santa Ana councilman on Friday asked the California Department of Justice to investigate the city’s police union, escalating a longstanding tension over police accountability, labor power and local governance into a potential state-level inquiry. According to a CBS News report, the councilman’s letter accuses the union of actions that interfere with city operations and intimidate elected officials and staff — allegations that, if substantiated, could prompt a civil rights or public-conduct probe by state authorities.

The request spotlights how municipal labor organizations can influence not only contract negotiations but also the functioning of local democracy. The councilman’s appeal to the state follows a period of heightened scrutiny of policing and police unions across California, where questions about disciplinary procedures, transparency in collective bargaining and the political role of unions have animated public debate and electoral politics.

CBS News reported that the councilman asked the DOJ to examine whether the union’s actions violated state law or city rules, and pointed to specific instances in which union activity, he says, chilled decision-making by council members and city staff. The councilman framed the request as necessary to restore trust in local institutions and to ensure that public-safety policy is set by elected officials and the public interest rather than by private labor leverage.

The Santa Ana Police Officers Association, according to the news outlet, strongly denied wrongdoing, calling the allegations “unfounded” and asserting that the union represents the legal and workplace interests of officers. The union’s statement said it would cooperate with lawful inquiries and defended its right to advocate for members, including through political activity and collective bargaining.

Legal and governance experts say the case illustrates the limited toolkit that municipalities have when policing the political behavior of unions. The California Department of Justice can open investigations into patterns or practices that violate civil rights or state law, but such inquiries are discretionary and often hinge on documentary evidence and whistleblower testimony. “Requests to the state are one way local officials seek an impartial review when internal remedies are perceived as inadequate,” said a governance scholar who studies police oversight. “But they also raise complex questions about authority, transparency and the proper boundaries between labor rights and public accountability.”

The dispute also echoes broader electoral dynamics. Police unions are among the most active political spenders in municipal contests, contributing to candidate campaigns, ballot measures and independent expenditures. Those financial and endorsement activities can shape council majorities and the votes that determine policing policy and labor contracts. For residents, the question is whether those influences undermine deliberation and responsiveness on issues such as discipline, use-of-force policy and civilian oversight.

For now, the California Department of Justice has not announced whether it will open a formal investigation, and CBS News noted that state officials had not commented on pending inquiries. The councilman has urged expedited review and asked for the findings to be shared publicly. The request is likely to put the union’s conduct, city bargaining practices and the balance of power in local government under sustained public scrutiny, testing both legal standards and community expectations for accountability.