Overview: Councilmember Dr. Treasure Ortiz of San Bernardino County has been charged with unlawfully recording San Bernardino Police personnel, with an arraignment scheduled for February 19, 2026. Ortiz had previously filed a lawsuit against the city, accusing it of illegally running her name through the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) by a former San Bernardino Police Department Detective, but the claim was denied after an independent investigation found the allegations to be unfounded. The city has stated that it will not comment further on the criminal matter.
VOICE Staff
The San Bernardino County District Attorney has filed criminal charges against Councilmember Dr. Treasure Ortiz, alleging that she unlawfully recorded San Bernardino Police personnel.
According to the complaint, Ortiz “intentionally and without consent used an electronic amplifying and recording device to eavesdrop and record confidential communications with San Bernardino Police Department personnel.”
Ortiz is scheduled to be arraigned on the criminal charges on Feb. 19, 2026. Ortiz did not respond to requests for comments at the time of publication. In a 5-0 vote, the San Bernardino County City Council directed the city to issue the press release regarding news of the charges against Ortiz.
Last March, Ortiz filed a lawsuit against the City of San Bernardino, accusing the city of illegally running her name through the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS ) by a former San Bernardino Police Department Detective. She sought $2 million in damages. Her claim was denied.
According to an independent investigator hired by the City of San Bernardino, an illegal search of the CLETS system was not confirmed. The city stated that the system is “regulated and audited annually by the State of California Attorney General’s Office.”
The City is represented by attorney Stephen Larson in the lawsuit against Ortiz.
“After receiving Councilmember Ortiz’s claim, the City engaged a highly qualified, experienced, and independent firm to review and investigate the allegations and found them to be entirely unfounded,” Larson stated in a press release.
“The independent investigation found that any criminal background searches as alleged in the claim were conducted in strict accordance with the law, a fact confirmed by official audits. The City believes that Councilmember Ortiz’s allegations of wrongdoing are factually and legally baseless and will be exposed as such in court,” Larson continued.
While the City stated they will not offer further comment on the criminal matter, the San Bernardino Police Department posted the press release on Facebook.
The social media post garnered dozens of comments, including one from a person who said the press release “raises significant concerns due to its drafting and approval by councilmembers closely tied to the Police Officers Association (POA), including the Chief of Police. This situation presents a clear conflict of interest.”
The post continues to list council members who are endorsed by the San Bernardino Police Officers Association, including Fred Shorett, who was endorsed in an Instagram post one week ago.
Other Facebook users posted comments calling for the city to hold Ortiz accountable, and others who posted questions such as “who watches the watchers?”