HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-25-1998 Minutes POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD
MINUTES- June 9, 1998
Lobby Conference Room
CALL TO ORDER Chair P. Hoffey called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M.
ATTENDANCE Board members present: L. Cohen, M Raymond, J. Watson and
P. Hoffey. Board member absent: P. Farrant. Staffpresent: Legal
Counsel D Russell and Administrative Assistant S. Bauer.
CONSENT
CALENDAR Motion by J. Watson and seconded by L. Cohen to adopt
Consent Calendar. Motion carded, 4/0, Farrant absent.
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL None
PROCEDURE FOR
COMPLAINTS FILED
AFTER 60 DAYS [t is the recommendation of legal counsel that a "complaint received
after sixty days should be assigned a complaint number by the staff
and placed on the next meeting agenda for discussion. It should not
be sent to the Police Chief or City Manager at that time. A copy of
the untimely complaint should be provided to each board member in
the meeting packet. By motion and vote the board should
determine whether the complaint will be dismissed under Section 8-
8-3D. If the board decides to dismiss the complaint, the staff
should forward a copy of the complaint to the Police Chief or the
City Manager pursuant to Section 8-8-7A. The complaint should
be accompanied by a memo stating that the complaint has been
dismissed as untimely and that investigation by the Chief or City
Manager is not required by Chapter 8 of the City Code. If the
board requests an investigation be done anyway, it may do so but
the Chief or City Manager then has no obligation to investigate the
matter. If the board determines that the complaint is timely and
should not be dismissed it may then be sent to the Police Chief or
City Manager as would any other complaint following the decision
of the board."
Regarding timeliness of a complaint, 8-8-3D of the ordinance
provides "All complaints must be filed with either the Board or the
Iowa City Police Department within sixty (60) days of the alleged
misconduct." Legal counsel further stated the board should
following Section 4.1(34) of the Code of Iowa in determining
timeliness of a complaint.
After discussion, Motion was made by M. Raymond and seconded
by P. Hoffey that the board adopt a procedure to-wit: when the
staff receives a complaint which appears to be untimely, the staff
shall take no action with that complaint other than to refer the
complaint to the full board for determination of timeliness. Motion
carried, 4/0, Farram absent.
COMMUNITY
FORUM Board members continued their discussion regarding the
community forum, to include:
· Opening remarks by the chair
· Board members are not compelled to answer questions at the
forum which do not relate to policies, procedures or practices,
however citizens may speak to any issues they choose.
· The forum will be considered as a business meeting, with notice
and agenda;
· Correspondence and other documents will be accepted by
motion at the end of the forum and will be reviewed by the
board;
· Those persons who speak or write to a specific issues will be
notified when that issue is to appear on the PCRB agenda;
· Board members directed staffand legal counsel to be present at
the forum;
· Administrative assistant Sandy Bauer will keep track of the five-
minute time limit for the Chair.
· The room arrangemem for the forum was agreed to, with
nameplates and mics for each of the board members at the front
table, and a mic at the podium;
· Board members would like a videotape of the forum in the
event they wish to view it again.
· Handouts (complaint forms and ordinance) will be placed on a
table inside the door.
STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURES
· Public heatings procedure will be extrapolated from legal
counsel's memo regarding same;
· Conflict of interest issues are addressed in the PCRB bylaws so
do not need to appear in the SOP's;
· Chair requested board members let him know of any comments,
or items to be added or deleted.
· Together with staff, Chair will put the SOP's into form and
resubmit them to the board in July;
· The PCRB annual report will be addressed by the end of July.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION None
MEETING SCItEDULE Meeting schedule agreed to:
· Special Meeting June 25, 1998 - 7:00 P.M.
Special Community Forum June 29, 1998, 7:00 P.M.-
Library, Conference Room A;
· Special Meeting July 9, 1998 - 7:00 P.M.
· Regular Meeting July 14, 1998 - 7:00 P.M.
BOARD INFORMATION Staffreported on office contacts, to include nine telephone
calls and four in-office contacts to the PCRB office from January
1, 1998 to May 31,1998. The board agreed that the substance of
such contacts be included in such reports.
After discussion, it was also agreed that contacts to board members
should also be reported on a regular basis. Three board members
reported recent contacts.
The board directed staffto include Staff Information on future
agendas.
Staffwas directed to place the discussion of the PCRB complaint
form on the agenda in July.
In response to whether an attorney who is representing a
complainant can also serve as a PCRB mediator, legal counsel
advised that the mediator is barred from serving in that case, but
may mediate other PCRB cases.
AI~JOURNMENT Motion for adjournment by M. Raymond and seconded by L. Cohen.
Motion carried, 4/0, Farrant absent. Meeting adjourned at 8:20 PM.