Item A: Tri-Annual Report to CC from Police Auditor

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This year our complaints rose approximately 10%. Our classifications of complaints as allegations rose approximately 50%. Allegations are those cases which are investigated by the Internal Affairs Section of EPD and usually require far more comprehensive investigations and time. The balance of cases, called service complaints, policy complaints and inquiries, are handled through an alternate dispute resolution process (ADR); most often with supervisors discussing these issues with the complainants and officers. Through ADR, the satisfaction rate is approximately 62% based on returned surveys. civilian oversight of police, this is a good resolution measure. Intake Processes and Accomplishments: Intake consumes a significant amount of staff time. Returned survey data indicates a high satisfaction level with the intake and explanations received from the I believe this is indicative of the oversight process, at least to some degree, bringing EPD supervisory expectations to a higher level. It seems, more so than ever, that a larger portion of our intake time is spent with individuals suffering temporary or permanent diminished mental and/or social capacity. As with other City agencies, we become an outlet for these individuals. Also, I think more so than in the past, people who receive traffic citations and appear or are scheduled for municipal court believe that violation. Even with explanation, often times the expectation remains that our role is considered court advocate, rather than a neutral evaluator of police conduct within the context of police policies and procedures. While I believe that our classifications are fair and neutral, some concerns are expressed about the classification of some cases. I will admit that we do hold officers to high standards and probably identify cases as allegations where in many jurisdictions they may not reach the level of an allegation (such as use of pepper spray, which is considered a rather benign use of force in most policing jurisdictions). However, I believe that these classification standards are in line with community expectations and efforts to build trust in the community. We recognize and appreciate the impact of our decisions on complainants and their families, community, officers, their families and the other interested parties. We make these decisions with careful consideration based on our experience, training and policy evaluations, and most importantly, recognition that our decisions are not always going to please others. Intake accomplishments include: fast turnover rate/referral for ADR or investigations; patient and compassionate concern for individuals who are experiencing mental illness and social interaction difficulties; comprehensive explanations of our role and the roles of other agencies. Investigations: Despite some turnover in Internal Affairs, I believe that the quality of investigations have helpful but not burdensome oversight of the investigations. The annual report by the CRB discusses the thoroughness of the IA investigations. In addition, by having a timeliness measure, we believe that the average of less than 90 days from intake to adjudication is an exceptional number based on my knowledge and experience in civilian oversight. Nimbleness and timeliness are extraordinarily important for successful civilian oversight. Our ability to turn these cases over quickly, to respond to critical incidents and move them forward rapidly and calmly and report back to the community are important factors in building community trust. 2