CPRA Request Watch

On Wednesday, Oct. 4, the following letters were delivered to Riverside City Hall and the Riverside Police Department's Orange St. Administrative headquarters, asking for information pursuant to the California Public Records Act.

CPRA template

The letter is addressed to Chief Russ Leach and has been CCed to Capt. Michael Blakely, who is currently assigned to the Personnel and Training office and to City Manager Brad Hudson, Mayor Ron Loveridge and members of the city council. Given the city's performance in several arenas pertaining to the police department in recent months, it has become clear that the memories of our elected representatives and Hudson are rather short regarding promises they had made before the city council voted 7 to 0 to approve an action plan to ensure that the implementation of the Strategic Plan with accountability mechanisms attached was carried out.

Either that, or the city council members have not been paying enough attention to what Hudson's been doing lately when it comes to carrying out the mandate from the city council as any properly trained city manager is required to do according to his job description. Has Hudson and his sidekick Tom DeSantis delivered on their labor contracts involving the city's police officers? Has he delivered on any of the promises made at the Strategic Plan workshop last March? The best he can do in this area is to attract large crowds of city employees to city council meetings to argue for fair negotiation practices and to (maybe) release a quarterly report on the police department, three months late.

There will be more CPRA requests going out to both Leach and the city government representatives including one on how the staffing needs of a city that is growing both in area and population will be met in the next few years, including the creation of more sworn and civilian positions in the police department. This is a requirement included in the Strategic Plan as well so it's not a voluntary exercise.

According to the writ of mandamus filed by Attorney General Bill Lockyer in 2001, there were numerous allegations of serious problems related directly to the shortage of police officers in the department.



10/4/2006

Chief Russ Leach
Riverside Police Department
4102 Orange St.
Riverside, CA 92501

RE: Public Records Act Request

Dear Chief Leach,

Pursuant to my rights under the California Public Records Act (Government Code Section 6250 et seq.), I ask to obtain a copy of the following, which I understand to be held by your agency:

Information from the Personnel and Training Division which shall include the following:

1) Statistics pertaining to the racial and gender breakdown of officers hired since January 1, 2006

2) Statistics pertaining to the racial and gender breakdown of officers who ceased being employed or left the agency by the police department since January 1, 2006.

3) Statistics pertaining to the officers hired by the department in terms of percentage that have graduated from local peace officer academies vs officers who lateral from other law enforcement agencies

4) Number of field training officers and breakdown by race and gender

5) Mean age and experience level(years in law enforcement) of the following:

a) total sworn officers
b) patrol division
c) field training officers division
d) SWAT/Metro teams
e) sergeants
f) lieutenants
g) captains and deputy chiefs

6) Percentage of lateral officers in the following divisions:
a) field training officers division
b) SWAT/Metro Teams

7) Information pertaining to the recruitment goals of the police department and how those goals would be met.
a) six month goals
b) 12 month goals

8) Information pertaining to goals to improve retention of officers hired in the department, i.e. mentoring programs.
a) pertaining to all officers
b) pertaining to female officers of all ethnic and racial groups
c) pertaining to Hispanic officers, male and female
d) pertaining to Black officers, male and female

9) Information pertaining to the department's commitment to meet objective #1.5 of the Strategic Plan, which is defined as the following, create a workforce that better reflects the diversity in Riverside.

10) Information pertaining to the implementation of objective #3.7 which is defined as the following, Improve outreach efforts to educate members of the community about their roles of co-producers of public safety."

I ask for a determination on this request within 10 days of your receipt of it, and an even prompter reply if you can make that determination without having to review the record[s] question. If you determine that any or all or the information qualifies for an exemption from disclosure, I ask you to note whether, as is normally the case under the Act, the exemption is discretionary, and if so whether it is necessary in this case to exercise your discretion to withhold the information. If you determine that some but not all of the information is exempt from disclosure and that you intend to withhold it, I ask that you redact it for the time being and make the rest available requested. In any event, please provide a signed notification citing the legal authorities on which you rely if you determine that any or all of the information is exempt and will not be disclosed.

I ask that you notify me of any duplication costs exceeding $0 before you duplicate the records so that I may decide which records I want copied.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Mary Shelton


Cc: Capt. Michael Blakely
City Manager Brad Hudson
City Council and Mayor Ron Loveridge

Time stamps: Date and time received:

Riverside City Clerk's office: Oct. 4, 2006

Riverside Police Department,
Orange St. Administration Headquarters: Oct. 4, 2006 at 10:48am