HomeMy WebLinkAboutAnnual Report FY2017
CPRB Annual Report FY 2017 – Approved 07/11/2017 – 1
COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW BOARD
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Established in 1997, by ordinance #97-3792, the Iowa City Police Citizens Review Board formerly
known as Citizens Police Review Board and now known as Community Police Review Board
(hereafter referred as the CPRB), consists of five members appointed by the City Council. The CPRB
has its own outside legal counsel.
The Board was established to review investigations into claims of police misconduct, 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. The Board shall hold at least
one community forum each year for the purpose of hearing citizens’ views on the policies, practices
and procedures of the Iowa City Police Department. 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 2017
Meetings
The CPRB tentatively holds monthly meetings on the second Tuesday and special meetings as
necessary. During FY17 the Board held ten meetings and one Community Forum.
ICPD Policies/Procedures/Practices Reviewed By CPRB
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 CPRB meetings, and was available for any questions Board
members had regarding these reports.
Presentations
In April of 2017 the Board held its ninth Community Forum as required by the City Charter. The Board
did introductions, a brief summary of Board duties and responsibilities. Treloar then introduced and
welcomed Iowa City Police Chief Jody Matherly.
Chief Matherly gave some background information about himself personally and professionally. He
also spoke about the department, other City departments, and the community working together. The
Chief feels that the CPRB is a positive thing for the community. He also reported on number of
officers, average calls for service and number of arrests per year.
The forum was then opened to the public for questions. There were five members of the public that
spoke at the forum. Topics included traffic on Clinton/Madison and proposed gun legislation, the
noise ordinance and barking dogs, mental illness, an upcoming legislative forum on mental illness and
Chief Matherly, and the types of complaints received since the start of the commission.
Board members spoke briefly about complaint forms, the Johnson County Citizens Police Academy,
and having good relationships/communications between residents and the Police Department.
CPRB Annual Report FY 2017 – Approved 07/11/2017 – 2
Board Members
In October 2016 officers were nominated with Joseph Treloar as Chair and Orville Townsend as Vice-
Chair. Orville Townsend and Monique Green were appointed in August of 2016 for four-year terms.
COMPLAINTS
Number and Type of Allegations
Three complaints (16-05, 17-01, 17-02) were filed during the fiscal year July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017.
Three public reports were completed during this fiscal period (16-03, 16-04, 16-05). Two complaints
filed in FY17 are pending before the Board (17-01, 17-02).
Allegations
Complaint #16-03
1. Unlawful Entry – NOT SUSTAINED.
2. Unnecessary Use of Force – NOT SUSTAINED.
Complaint #16-04
1. Unnecessary Use of Force (all officers) – NOT SUSTAINED.
2. Failure to Activate Body-Worn Cameras (1 of 3 officers) – SUSTAINED.
Complaint #16-05
1. Violated Complainant’s First Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech – NOT SUSTAINED.
2. Improper/Unlawful detention/arrest – NOT SUSTAINED.
3. Improperly/Unlawfully did not allow Complainant to provide verbal identification – NOT
SUSTAINED.
4. Failure to offer/administer a pre-arrest sobriety/breath test – NOT SUSTAINED.
5. Failure to inform Complainant of reason of arrest – NOT SUSTAINED.
6. Improper/Unlawful search after arrest – NOT SUSTAINED.
7. Improper handcuffing and intentionally causing pain and injury to Complainant – NOT
SUSTAINED.
8. Profanity – NOT SUSTAINED.
9. Fabricated probable cause – NOT SUSTAINED.
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 3
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
CPRB Annual Report FY 2017 – Approved 07/11/2017 – 3
Complaint Resolutions
The Police Department investigates complaints to the CPRB 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 CPRB 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 its
conclusions about the allegations should be sustained or not sustained. The Board prepares a report
which is submitted to the City Council.
Of the thirteen allegations listed in the three complaints for which the Board reported, one was
sustained.
The Board made comments and/or recommendations for improvement in police policy, procedures, or
conduct in two of the reports:
Complaint #16-03 – It was evident from the time the police arrived on the scene that it was their intent
that the suicidal person would receive necessary care at the hospital. It was also evident that the
police intended that no one be arrested, no charge would need to be filed and that the transportation
of the patient occur as peacefully as possible without incident.
The Board felt the officers handled a very difficult situation very professionally; however, one of the
officers made the following comment at the hospital after the patient stated that they were fine: “well
you should have been fine earlier”. Also, one of the officers made the following comment to one of
the arrestees: “you’re a grown ass man, look how you’re acting”. The Board felt that these comments
were unnecessary and inflammatory and de-escalation training may be in order to improve future
situations, especially in the case of distressed individuals.
Complaint #16-05 – Officer A did an excellent job of handling the situation. It should also be
mentioned that he was not only dealing with the complainant but he also did an excellent job of
encouraging his friends to keep a safe distance.
The Board was concerned that there was no audio with one of the videos. The Board wants to ensure
that the department’s equipment is both operating the way its intended to, and is operated by the
officers the way it is intended to.
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 scheduled one
name-clearing hearing, but none were held.
Complaint Histories of Officers
City ordinance requires that the annual report of the CPRB 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. In the three complaints covered by the FY17 annual
report a total of seven officers were involved with allegations against them.
ICPD Internal Investigations Logs
The Board reviewed the quarterly ICPD Internal Investigations Log, provided by the Chief of Police.
CPRB Annual Report FY 2017 – Approved 07/11/2017 – 4
COMPLAINT DEMOGRAPHICS
The following is demographic information from the three complaints that were completed in this fiscal
year. Because complainants provide this voluntarily, the demographic information may be
incomplete.
Age:
(3) 18-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 (2) 56-64 65+
Disability:
Physical (1) Mental (1) None
Annual Household Income:
100K 75-99K 50-75K (1) 25-49K (1) Under 25K
Gender:
(1) Female (3) Male (1) Other - Transgender
Sexual Orientation:
(1) LGBTQ (4) Heterosexual Other
Ethnic Origin:
Black/African-American Hispanic (1) American Indian/Alaska Native
Asian/Pacific Islander (4) White/Caucasian Other
Were you born in the United States:
(2) Yes No
Religion:
(1) Christian None Other
Marital Status:
(2) Married (3) Single Divorced Separated Widowed Other
* Information is reported as presented by the person completing the form.
BOARD MEMBERS
Joseph Treloar, Chair
Royceann Porter / Orville Townsend, Vice Chair
Melissa Jensen / Monique Green
Mazahir Salih
Donald King