HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-16-1999 Articles The Gazette, C, edar Rapids, Iowa: Fri., Feb. 12, ~_999 3B*
Review panel wants to track officer IDs
Police chief omits members Dean Thornberry,
Mike O'Donnell and Dee Vanderhoef
numbers from reports said they still oppose use of the ¢ 4I have a difficult time with it,
specific numbers, maintaining they but 1 trust you implicitly. ~ ~
to prevent bias invite bias.
Mayor Ernie Lehman said he would Mayor Ernie Lehman,
By Lynn M. Tefft have a hard time being unbiased if he responding to request
Gazette Johnson County Bureau were in a board member's shoes, from review board
IOWA CITY -- The City Council has "I have a difficult time with it, but I
to trust that members of the Police trust you implicitly," Lehman said,
Citizens Review Board will not misuse joining Karen Kubby and Dee Norton given a report on complaints ~nade
information about officers who are in favoring use of the numbers, directly to the Police Department and
subjects of complaints, board mem- O'Donnell said it has nothing to do not reviewed by the board.
bets told the council, with trust. The council also agreed to extend
Board member Patricia Farrant said "It has everything to do with trust," deadlines for people involved in the
during the board's meeting with the Lehman responded, complaint process. Complainants will
council last night that the police chief The alternative to using the num- have 90 days from the time of an
should use specific officer identifica- incident to file a complaint, up from
tion numbers in issuing his reports IOWA CITY ~0. The police chief also will have 90
about complaints to the board, days to make the report of his investi-
The identification numbers would bets is the current system of labeling gation to the board, up from 60. The
allow the board to track the number officers as 1, 2, 3 and so on in each board will have 45 days to report its
and kind of complaints against certain complaint, with no way for the board findings to the City Council, up from
officers, members said. to track complaints against certain 30.
The chief used such numbers until officers.
recently, when he and other city staff Norton noted that when police fol- The council also agreed to adopt a
raised concerns that they biased the low up on complaints against fellow procedure for the board to hear ap-
board and threatened employee confi- officers, they know whom they're in- peals from complainants whose com-
dentiality, vestigating by name. plaints are dismissed because of tardi-
City Attorney Eleanor Dilkes said Council member Connie Champion ness or because they are not against a
sworn police officer. Current policy
she had no problem with resuming said she supported the board's track- allows the complainant to appeal in
use of the specific numbers, provided ing function but thought members public, opening up the potential of
there's a written rule preventing the could achieve it by receiving a sepa-
board from considering past com- rate report of complaints against offi- discussing an unproved complaint
plaints against an officer when ruling cers, independent of the individual against an officer.
on a current one. complaints. The proposed procedm'e would al-
The council will vote at a future The council achieved relatively low the board to go into closed session
meeting on use of the identification quick consensus on other changes for such hearings or have just a few
numbers and other changes proposed proposed by the board. Council mem- board members interview tl~e corn-
by the board, bets agreed that the board should be plainant.
New York Times, February 9, 1999
City Council Supports Further
Oversight of Los Angeles Police
By The New york Times tion, Councilman Mark Ridley-
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 6 -- The City Thomas requested an investigation power and are a potential hindrance
Council here has moved to strength- of the handling of the complaint, to effective law enforcement.
en civilian oversight of the Los Ange- The department's first inspector "Changes which allow duplicate
les Police Department despite oppo- general, Katherine Mader, resigned investigations, officers to hide be-
sit/on from the city's police chief, last fall after less than three years in hind confidentiality even though they
On Friday, the council voted, 11 to the job, saying that her civilian are sworn to come forward with the
0, with four members absent, to sup- bosses on the Police Commission truth, and a position accountable to
port an ordinance that would shield were undercutting her authority, no one until after the damage is done
the identity of whistleblowers in the Since her resignation, officials have will surely and inevitably deny the
department and protect them from engaged in a highly public debate people of this City the peace and
retaliation for bringing accusations over the scope and power of the safety they deserve," Mr. Parks
of wrongdoing to the attention of the inspector general position, wrote.
inspector geoeral, Deirdre Hill. The Historically, the police department Ms. Chick said the department
post is a civilian position, created had had a high degree of independ- must have oversight beyond its own
after the police beating of Rodney G. internal checks and balances.
King and the ensuing riots to give the ence from City Hall, the result of "We saw what happened in this
public greater oversight of the de- measures passed in the 1930's to city when the department is scruti-
partment, insulate the department from any nizing itself," she said. "We have the
The measures in the ordinance, corrupt elected officials. But the de- history to remind us."
which requires a final vote on Tues- partment has come under public
day, are to a great extent already pressure in recent months from
cgntained in the city's civil service elected officials who want to insure
codes and in Federal employment that the police are responsive to the
la~n, said Councilwoman Laura public.
Chick, the author of the ordinance. The council has backed other
She added that it was needed to show measures intended to strengthen the
the city was serious about police handoftheinspectorgeneral, includ-
oversight, lng broad authority to initiate inves-
"It sends a very strong message to tigations and release reports to the
the public, the police department and public without substantial changes;
the commission: that we inteod to unrestricted access by the insnecmr
persevere in ensuring the integrity general to department documer~ts,
and the responsibilities of the inspec- and requirements that police corn-
tot general," Ms. Chick said. mission decisions to cut off investi-
The whistleblower ordinance grew gallons be made public.
out of an incident last year, in which But a report by the City Attoruey's
Police Sgt. Jace Kessler sent a corn- office last month said the Council did
plaint to the inspector general con- not have the authority to enact most
cerning remarks made by Chief Bet- of the other measures. As a result,
nard C. Parks about police union they are expected to be included io.a
officials. (He called them "tired old referendum scheduled for a vote in
men.") The complaint letter was June which would overhanl the city's
read by the police commission's ex- charter.
ecutive director, Joseph Germ, and The measares have been opposed
turned over to Mr. Parks. by Chief Parks, himself a strict disci
To protect officers from retalia- plinarian who dismissed 54 officers
last year, a record for the city. In
letters to the City Council, Chief
Parks has said the reform proposals
give the inspector general too much