CPRA Watch: Personnel and Training

On October 4, I submitted a California Public Records Act request for information from the Personnel and Training Division of the Riverside Police Department.

On Oct. 17, I received a letter via certified mail from Deputy Chief John DeLaRosa informing me that the information that I had requested was enclosed.

Inside that envelope were items pertaining to two of my requests. The first was a series of documents detailing the department's recruitment schedule, including dates, locations, events and whether or not any representatives of the department had actually attended those events. The second item, in compliance with item #10(see below) was literature pertaining to community programs including Neighborhood Watch, the Neighborhood Watch Academy held this summer and Business Watch.

DeLaRosa closed his letter by stating that he had responded to the request. However, numerous items on the list below were not included in the envelope nor were they even addressed in his letter. It is not clear from DeLaRosa's letter whether requests for those items were accepted, denied or not available, because the department did not keep records.

Since the two components of the Personnel and Training were not covered in any great detail during the police department's first "quarterly" report, it would be interesting to find out what progress has been made on the Strategic Plan's objectives addressing these two important issues.

So this request will be submitted again.



10/23/2006

Chief Russ Leach
Riverside Police Department


RE: Public Records Act Request

2nd 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:

On Oct. 4, I submitted a CPRA request to the police department for the following information, printed in bold below. On Oct. 17, I received an envelope via certified mail sent by Deputy Chief John DeLaRosa from the police department, containing information addressing several of the requested items in my CPRA request. These items received, are marked on the list with an asterisk and are numbered # 7 and #10. Thank you for sending me this information. I do appreciate it.

However, I did not receive any information on the remaining items on my CPRA list, nor was there any language included in Deputy Chief DeLaRosa's letter that explained whether my requests for that information had been granted, or denied by the department and if denied, on what grounds and including a signed notification of the legal authorities supporting that decision.

I am resubmitting this request.

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 availablerequested. 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: City Manager Brad Hudson
Deputy Chief John DeLaRosa
Capt. Michael Blakely
City Council and Mayor Ron Loveridge
City Attorney Greg Priamos