HomeMy WebLinkAboutAnnual report FY2006
POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Established in 1997, by ordinance #97-3792, the Iowa City Police Citizens Review Board (PCRB)
consists of five members appointed by the City Council. The PCRB has its own legal counsel.
The Board was established to assure that investigations into claims of police misconduct are
conducted in a manner that is fair, thorough, and accurate, and to assist the Police Chief, the City
Manager, and the City Council in evaluating the overall performance of the Police Department by
reviewing the Police Department’s investigations into complaints. The Board is also required to
maintain a central registry of complaints and to provide an annual report setting forth the numbers,
types, and disposition of complaints of police misconduct. It may recommend that the City Council
hold public forums and/or hearings designed to encourage citizens to provide information,
recommendations, and opinions about police policies, procedures, and practices. To achieve these
purposes, the Board complies with Chapter 8 of the Iowa City Code and the Board’s By-Laws and
Standard Operating Procedures and Guidelines.
ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006
Meetings
The PCRB holds monthly meetings on the second Tuesday and special meetings as necessary.
During FY06 the Board held 9 meetings. Three meetings were cancelled due to lack of Board
business.
ICPD Policies/Procedures/Practices Reviewed By PCRB
The ICPD regularly provided the Board with monthly Use of Force Reports, Internal Investigation
Logs, Demographic Reports and various Training Bulletins. The Department also provided various
General Orders for the Board’s review and comment. A senior member of the Police Department
routinely attended the open portion of the PCRB meetings, and is available for any questions Board
members have regarding these reports.
Presentations
None.
Board Members
Roger Williams’ term ended in September and Michael Larson was appointed for a four-year term. In
October officers were nominated with Greg Roth as Chair and Candy Barnhill as Vice Chair.
COMPLAINTS
Number and Type of Allegations
Four complaints (05-03, 05-04, 06-01, 06-02) were filed during the fiscal year July 1, 2005 – June 30,
2006. Four public reports were completed during this fiscal period (05-02, 05-03, 05-04, 06-01). The
four completed public reports involved 6 allegations.
Allegations
Complaint #05-02
1. Aggressiveness and Improper Language.
PCRB Annual Report FY 2006 - (Approved June 12, 2006) – 2
Complaint #05-03
1. Improper Conduct.
2. Differential Treatment.
Complaint #05-04
1. Failure to properly investigate a complaint.
2. Using a condescending tone when speaking to complainant.
Complaint #06-01
1. Violation of 4th Amendment Right.
Level of Review
The Board decided, by simple majority vote, the level of review to give each report, selecting one or
more of the six levels specified in the City Code per complaint:
Level a On the record with no additional investigation 4
Level b Interview or meet with complainant 0
Level c Interview or meet with named officer 0
Level d Request additional investigation by Chief or 0
City Manager, or request police assistance
in the Board’s own investigation
Level e Board performs its own additional investigation 0
Level f Hire independent investigators 0
Complaint Resolutions
The Police Department investigates complaints to the PCRB of misconduct by police officers. The
Police Chief summarizes the results of these investigations and indicates in a report (the Chief’s
Report) to the PCRB whether allegations are sustained or not sustained. (If complaints are made
against the Chief, the City Manager conducts the investigation and prepares and submits the reports.)
The Board reviews both the citizens’ complaint and the Chief’s Report and decides whether the
allegations should be sustained or not sustained. The Board prepares a report which is submitted to
the City Council.
Of the 6 allegations listed in the four complaints for which the Board reported, none were sustained.
The Board made comments and/or recommendations for improvement in police policy, procedures, or
conduct in two of the reports:
Complaint #05-03
The Police Citizens Review Board considered ICPD General Order Number 00-05, "Off-Duty Conduct:
Powers of Arrest"; ICPD General Order Number 99-07, "Traffic"; and ICPD General Order 01-01, "Racial
Profiling" in coming to its conclusions.
Complaint #06-01
On Wednesday, February 1, 2006, Officer A charged the complainant with “Vehicle for Hire – Liability
Insurance.” The PCRB complaint against Officer A was time stamped on Friday, February 3, 2006.
In his closing statement to investigators, the complainant stated he would make his complaint go
away if the charge against him was dropped.
Name-Clearing Hearings
The ordinance requires that the Board not issue a report critical of the conduct of a sworn officer until
after a name-clearing hearing has been held. During this fiscal period, the Board did not schedule any
name-clearing hearings.
PCRB Annual Report FY 2006 - (Approved June 12, 2006) – 3
Mediation
Officers and complainants are notified by mail that formal mediation is available to them at any stage
in the complaint process before the Board adopts its public report. All parties involved must consent to
a request for mediation. No mediations were convened this year.
Complaint Histories of Officers
City ordinance requires that the annual report of the PCRB must not include the names of
complainants or officers involved in unsustained complaints and must be in a form that protects the
confidentiality of information about all parties. Complaints were filed against four officers in the four
complaints covered by the FY06 annual report.
ICPD Internal Investigations Logs
The Board reviewed the quarterly ICPD Internal Investigations Log, provided by the Chief of Police.
COMPLAINT DEMOGRAPHICS
The following is demographic information from the four complaints that were filed in this fiscal year.
Because complainants provide this voluntarily, the demographic information is incomplete.
Category/Number of Complainants
Age: National Origin: Color:
Over 21 3 US 1 African American 1
Unknown 1 Unknown 3 Unknown 3
Sexual Orientation: Gender Identity: Sex:
Heterosexual 1 Male 2 Male 1
Unknown 3 Unknown 2 Unknown 3
Marital Status: Religion: Mental Disability:
Single 0 Unknown 4 Unknown 4
Married 1
Unknown 3
Physical Disability:
Unknown 4
BOARD MEMBERS
Greg Roth, Chair
Candy Barnhill, Vice Chair
Loren Horton
Beth Engel
Roger Williams/Michael Larson
clerk/Annual Report 05-06.doc