Budget Talks 2008: Baby, it's cold out there
"I knew it would take time to get people's trust. But it was strange that, at the first City Council meeting I attended, I would have someone come up to me and say, 'Welcome to hell.'"
---Ilana Rosenzweig, who heads Chicago's Office of Independent Police Review Authority.
"Prepare for a bitter harvest. Winter has come at last."
There's been rumors of this for weeks, but now it's apparently official. Riverside's city government will be freezing vacant positions to offset the anticipated deficit in the budget, according to the Press Enterprise. This is expected to offset the $14 million or so shortage in the budget. It's also probably the reason for statements made by employees in the city that it's balancing its budget woes on their backs.
(excerpt)
The city stopped filling open positions about a month ago unless they were considered critical, Sundeen said. Employees are taking on more responsibilities and shifts to make up for the reduction in staff, Sundeen said.
"Everything that needs to get done, might not get done as quickly as it would have, but it still gets done," Sundeen said.
The City Council, at its midyear budget review at 2 p.m. today, is expected to guide City Manager Brad Hudson on how to compensate for the rest of the shortage.
City staff recommends putting off hiring additional police officers and firefighters until fiscal year 2008-09 and increasing processing fees for private development.
Projects within the Riverside Renaissance, $1.8 billion program of public improvements, will not be affected because they are not directly paid for by the general fund.
Interesting how they keep using the words "directly paid for" which implies that the origin of some of the funding is from that source but it's been rerouted elsewhere before being spent on the Riverside Renaissance. After all, when they froze positions last year, where did that general fund money used to pay for those personnel expenses go?
Actually, even during a healthier fiscal times, there's been temporary freezes on city employees as stated above, including in the police department's civilian division last year. But this isn't a very healthy year coming up fiscally speaking, with a state budget deficiit at about $15 billion and Riverside County placing in the top 10 for foreclosed residences in the nation.
But although the city's vague on exactly how services will be delayed or impacted, it's pretty clear that they will be as has been the case with earlier freezes.
If the city's budget issues aren't enough, there's rumors flying that the city might go to the mat over the proposed renovation plans involving the downtown library.
Press Enterprise Columnist Dan Bernstein explored allegations that City Manager Brad Hudson might just torpedo plans for the expansion because he's upset with the crowd of 300 people who showed up to voice their support for keeping the planned expansion and renovation of the library separate from that of the downtown museum.
Is that the truth? The jury is still out. It would indeed be worth a good dose of dismay if Hudson was so stewed at the crowds of community members who turned out to a recent joint meeting at City Hall of both the Board of Library Trustees and the Metropolitan Museum Board to oppose his plans that he goes off and does his own thing anyway.
Still, if you need a reference point in terms of how little interest Hudson and his associates have in community input and passion about a mechanism, program or project, you need look no further than what's happened to the Community Police Review Commission in the past several years.
However, Councilman Mike Gardner is right. Hudson is very intelligent and he can indeed count to four. But when it comes to issues like his handling of the CPRC, his office's handling of the labor negotiations involving city employees and the departures of upper management Black and Latino employees, Hudson's only had to count to seven.
Anyway, some of the strongest supporters of both projects remaining separate and each getting what they are due are leery of what lies ahead in the future.
(excerpt)
But Dawn Hassett, treasurer of the Renew the Library Committee, does. This group recently drew 300 library supporters to a weekday hearing to push for a much larger Main Library expansion than Hudson's.
Hassett: "I now expect city manager to push back -- to trot out the classic excuses for why something can't happen: It's the wrong economy right now, there's not enough money, and it needs more study."
A downtown library and museum -- expanded to serve Riverside 2025 -- are key entrees on a "Renaissance" buffet that threatens to morph into a Dark Ages food fight.
Not to worry, says Gardner. The council has three new guys. Once it weighs in, Hudson (who didn't call me back) will hop to.
"Brad's a very smart guy. He can count to four very well." (That's how many council members it takes to change a light bulb -- or a city manager.)
Stay tuned to this situation as it continues to develop. Below is an item which is kind of linked to what's going on or not going on with the library expansion project. And if you are dedicated to the library and the museums, keep actively involved in the process.
Contact your elected officials at City Hall and tell them how you feel about it. Go here and click on the links for the city council members and here for the mayor's office. If you're concerned about the freezes and their impact on city services in the city and your neighborhoods, also contact them.
On the consent calendar for today's city council evening session is this item which is the recommendations from the Mayor's Nomination and Screening Committee in regards to who should be appointed or interviewed for appointment on the city's boards and commissions. Missing from the list is the Ward Four vacancy for the Board of Library Trustees, which was the focus of much discussion by several of the committee members at the Jan. 15 meeting.
In this minute order, it states that the committee without formal motion all agreed that Mayor Ron Loveridge and Ward Four Councilman Frank Schiavone will coordinate to fill this vacancy on the Board of Library Trustees.
Which might be great news for Hudson. Or not. The current weather forecast at City Hall on this issue is swirling winds. After all, once again it's an election year.
A Riverside County Sheriff's Department captain is bringing a doctorate degree in sociology to his assignment in Perris.
The Los Angeles Police Department can't police itself.
So stated an audit conducted by the inspector general of the Los Angeles Police Commission in a 34-page report that cited problems involving the investigations of complaints filed against police officers in this department.
(excerpt)
The audit, which is expected to be presented to the civilian Police Commission today, examined how 60 complaints filed against officers in recent years were handled by the officers' supervisors and investigators in the department's internal affairs group. In 29 of the cases -- nearly half of the time -- it found some sort of flaw, including investigators who inaccurately recorded statements and failed to interview witnesses or identify accused officers. In some cases, investigators failed to address allegations of misconduct at all. "We are always concerned about the quality of our investigations," said Deputy Chief Mark Perez, head of internal affairs. "We take these findings very seriously."
Although Perez said the report's findings would be used to improve training of internal affairs officers, he dismissed the notion that the report amounted to a serious indictment of the quality of complaint investigations. Mistakes may be made, he said, but they rarely, if ever, affect the decision of whether to discipline officers.
"With the volume of cases we get each year, we cannot spend an infinite amount of time on every complaint," he said. "We make judgment calls that someone second-guessing us afterward might not like. . . . But I have a very high level of confidence that the adjudication at the end is right."
He might but he and his department might be alone there. Especially if the problems the audit revealed remain problems. It's interesting in that some of the problems found in the audit done on the LAPD's complaint process are not much different than those found in the audit of the Portland Police Bureau's internal affairs division done by Eileen Luna-Firebaugh. These being failures to interview all the witnesses to an alleged incident of misconduct.
Others revealed in the audit of the LAPD included failure to include photographs of injuries for investigations involving allegations of excessive force. Investigators would also paraphrase eyewitness accounts of events by civilians to favor exoneration of the involved officers.
There's a job opening in Eugene, Oregon in connection with civilian oversight. Given all the interesting events surrounding the Auditor's office there, it's the right time to look into this amazing career opportunity.
City of Eugene, Oregon Deputy Police Auditor
$45,510 - $61,838 / Annually
Closing Date: February 22, 2008
The Deputy Police Auditor assists the Police Auditor in providing independent, external oversight of investigations of complaints involving police employees. This may include receiving complaints; monitoring or participating in internal investigations to ensure objective, thorough, and high quality investigations; preparing reports on complaint trends and police practices.
The Deputy Police Auditor assists the Police Auditor in providing staff support to the Civilian Review Board appointed by the City Council.This position is characterized by the Deputy Police Auditor's ability to assist the Police Auditor in providing fair and objective oversight of the police complaint process, building credibility among diverse audiences, and instilling public confidence in the complaint system.
The responsibilities of the Deputy Police Auditor are broad in scope and require the highest degree of professional, independent judgment, personal integrity, and accountability. The Deputy Police Auditor performs work that is highly complex, and often involves sensitive and confidential issues.
Qualifications include a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Public Administration, Business Administration, Human Resources, Criminal Justice, or related field(s). A Master's degree or Juris Doctorate from an accredited college or university is desirable. Must also have some experience performing staff support related to professional oversight or policy development and analysis,preferably in the public sector.
Experience relating to alternative dispute resolution is highly desirable.
Eugene is known as the "World's Greatest City of the Arts &Outdoors!" for its exciting mix of arts, culture, education, scenic beauty, and passion for recreation. The Willamette and McKenzie rivers, more than 100 parks and 2,600 acres of open space, festivals and shows year-round, the Hult Center for the Performing Arts with two world-class theaters, the University of Oregon, Lane Community College, and an active downtown are just some of the local attractions.
Eugene is also favorably located close to great hiking, skiing, the world famous Oregon coast, and the Portland metropolitan area.
Learn more about Eugene at:<http://www.eugene-or.gov/> <http://www.eugene-or.gov/>http://www.eugene-or.gov/ <http://www.eugene-or.gov/> .
Interested candidates should submit an official City of Eugeneapplication form in order to be considered for this position.
To applyonline, access the City of Eugene Job Opportunity page at www.eugene-or. gov/jobs <http://www.eugene-or.gov/jobs> . Forms are also available at the Cit of Eugene Human Resources office. (Office hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday through Friday.)
APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED DURING THE POSTING PERIOD ONLY, AND MUST BE SUBMITTED PRIOR TO 5:00 PMON THE CLOSING DATE.
If you do not apply online, you may submit your application in person, by mail, or by fax to (541) 682-6831 by 5:00 pm on the closing date. If faxed, your originals must be submitted to Human Resources immediately thereafter. You must submit a new application for each position. Current information about job postings is also available by calling the Job Information Line (541) 682-5061.
San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong demoted a deputy chief because of his inappropriate handling of a domestic violence case involving his son who is also an officer, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
(excerpt)
"Effective Saturday, Deputy Chief Stephen Tacchini will return to his permanent civil service rank of captain," Sgt. Neville Gittens, a department spokesman, said in a statement that did not explain the basis for the action.
Tacchini, a 31-year veteran officer, served less than a month as deputy chief of the department's field operations bureau. Tacchini's salary will drop from $220,000 a year to $163,000 annually.
While command staff officers may revert to lower captain or lieutenant rank as part of a change of administration, this is the first time in recent memory a deputy chief has been reduced in rank to a captain by a chief still in office. All those command staff members serve at the pleasure of the chief.
Tacchini's son, James, meanwhile, has been placed on administrative duties following the Jan. 19 incident when officers went to the apartment of a woman he had been dating. He allegedly had been drinking and was carrying a weapon - an apparent violation of department policy - but was never tested for intoxication, The Chronicle was told. The decision to disarm him came as he was leaving and was met by Sgt. John Bragagnolo at the door.
New Haven's police department seldom gets a break and now a police detective has been accused of stealing money from the department.
(excerpt, NBC30)
Clarence Willoughby, a 24-year veteran of the embattled force, turned himself in at police headquarters Wednesday, investigators said.
He is accused of stealing money from the police department's confidential informants' funds. The arrest warrants are sealed, but police said the charges against Willoughby stem from four cases that took place between 2003 and 2007. Willoughby allegedly pocketed thousands of dollars from public funds that are supposed to be doled out to people who help the department solve crimes.
"Our investigation has found that that did not happen, that the individuals did not get the dollar amounts they were to receive," Police Chief Francisco Ortiz said.
Some more police employees in Indiana won't be charged after being videotaped photographing a woman from a cell phone who was posing for them.
The civilian employee who took the photograph was terminated from his position. There were also officers who received suspensions as well.
And what reason did the department provide for their actions?
(excerpt)
"It's humiliating, it's embarrassing," he said. "The police station is a secure facility where there's cameras all over the place, and they let their guard down, and they got caught up in the moment and forgot they were working."
According to the Boston Globe, the Boston Police Department has been allowing officers accused of domestic violence to keep their guns.
(excerpt)
In retrospect, Boston Police Department officials said, they should never have allowed Officer Leonard F. Brown to carry his gun.
Brown, they said, shouldn't have had it last summer, while his former wife had an active restraining order against him. Specifically, he shouldn't have had it July 26, when he was accused of flashing his department- issued .40-caliber Glock to a former in-law during what has been described as a vodka- infused tirade, saying, "Do you know who you're [expletive] with?"
"We missed him," Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis said in an interview.
But while Brown may be the most egregious example, he is hardly alone. The Boston Police Department - unlike the State Police - has repeatedly allowed officers accused of domestic-related threats or violence to continue carrying guns, a Globe review has found. The department allows the practice, usually with more restrictions than Brown had, so that officers can continue working regular patrol shifts and detail shifts at nightclubs and construction sites.
Yet that policy runs counter to a recommendation from an internal Police Department committee, which said in 2005 that all officers subject to restraining orders should be stripped of their weapons for the duration of the orders.
The internal committee also found that the department's in-house counseling program for officers accused of domestic violence was lacking.
During a prostitution sting, one of those caught was an off-duty sheriff deputy.
In Chicago, Llana Rosenzweig, who heads the Independent Police Review Authority has her work cut out for her, dealing with the scandal-plagued police department there.
(excerpt, Los Angeles Times)
Before Rosenzweig came to Chicago, a string of police- related shootings in the city's South Side and West Side had residents screaming at Police Board meetings. The public's mood remained grim when videotapes surfaced showing an off-duty officer beating up a female bartender, and a group of officers pummeling four businessmen in a downtown bar.
Critics have long contended that the Independent Police Review Authority, formerly known as the Office of Professional Standards, either didn't have enough resources to root out problem officers or didn't have enough support from the city or the department for it to do a thorough job.
A report released last year by University of Chicago researchers said the city's police had more brutality complaints per officer than the national average.
Between 2002 and 2004, civilians filed 10,149 complaints of false arrest, illegal search, sexual or racial abuse, or excessive force.
Only 19 of those cases resulted in an officer being suspended for a week or more, said civil rights lawyer Craig Futterman, a University of Chicago law professor who worked on the report.
Bobby Cutts, jr. a former Canton Police Department officer took the stand in his murder trial.
---Ilana Rosenzweig, who heads Chicago's Office of Independent Police Review Authority.
"Prepare for a bitter harvest. Winter has come at last."
---Mr. (employment?) Freeze
There's been rumors of this for weeks, but now it's apparently official. Riverside's city government will be freezing vacant positions to offset the anticipated deficit in the budget, according to the Press Enterprise. This is expected to offset the $14 million or so shortage in the budget. It's also probably the reason for statements made by employees in the city that it's balancing its budget woes on their backs.
(excerpt)
The city stopped filling open positions about a month ago unless they were considered critical, Sundeen said. Employees are taking on more responsibilities and shifts to make up for the reduction in staff, Sundeen said.
"Everything that needs to get done, might not get done as quickly as it would have, but it still gets done," Sundeen said.
The City Council, at its midyear budget review at 2 p.m. today, is expected to guide City Manager Brad Hudson on how to compensate for the rest of the shortage.
City staff recommends putting off hiring additional police officers and firefighters until fiscal year 2008-09 and increasing processing fees for private development.
Projects within the Riverside Renaissance, $1.8 billion program of public improvements, will not be affected because they are not directly paid for by the general fund.
Interesting how they keep using the words "directly paid for" which implies that the origin of some of the funding is from that source but it's been rerouted elsewhere before being spent on the Riverside Renaissance. After all, when they froze positions last year, where did that general fund money used to pay for those personnel expenses go?
Actually, even during a healthier fiscal times, there's been temporary freezes on city employees as stated above, including in the police department's civilian division last year. But this isn't a very healthy year coming up fiscally speaking, with a state budget deficiit at about $15 billion and Riverside County placing in the top 10 for foreclosed residences in the nation.
But although the city's vague on exactly how services will be delayed or impacted, it's pretty clear that they will be as has been the case with earlier freezes.
If the city's budget issues aren't enough, there's rumors flying that the city might go to the mat over the proposed renovation plans involving the downtown library.
Press Enterprise Columnist Dan Bernstein explored allegations that City Manager Brad Hudson might just torpedo plans for the expansion because he's upset with the crowd of 300 people who showed up to voice their support for keeping the planned expansion and renovation of the library separate from that of the downtown museum.
Is that the truth? The jury is still out. It would indeed be worth a good dose of dismay if Hudson was so stewed at the crowds of community members who turned out to a recent joint meeting at City Hall of both the Board of Library Trustees and the Metropolitan Museum Board to oppose his plans that he goes off and does his own thing anyway.
Still, if you need a reference point in terms of how little interest Hudson and his associates have in community input and passion about a mechanism, program or project, you need look no further than what's happened to the Community Police Review Commission in the past several years.
However, Councilman Mike Gardner is right. Hudson is very intelligent and he can indeed count to four. But when it comes to issues like his handling of the CPRC, his office's handling of the labor negotiations involving city employees and the departures of upper management Black and Latino employees, Hudson's only had to count to seven.
Anyway, some of the strongest supporters of both projects remaining separate and each getting what they are due are leery of what lies ahead in the future.
(excerpt)
But Dawn Hassett, treasurer of the Renew the Library Committee, does. This group recently drew 300 library supporters to a weekday hearing to push for a much larger Main Library expansion than Hudson's.
Hassett: "I now expect city manager to push back -- to trot out the classic excuses for why something can't happen: It's the wrong economy right now, there's not enough money, and it needs more study."
A downtown library and museum -- expanded to serve Riverside 2025 -- are key entrees on a "Renaissance" buffet that threatens to morph into a Dark Ages food fight.
Not to worry, says Gardner. The council has three new guys. Once it weighs in, Hudson (who didn't call me back) will hop to.
"Brad's a very smart guy. He can count to four very well." (That's how many council members it takes to change a light bulb -- or a city manager.)
Stay tuned to this situation as it continues to develop. Below is an item which is kind of linked to what's going on or not going on with the library expansion project. And if you are dedicated to the library and the museums, keep actively involved in the process.
Contact your elected officials at City Hall and tell them how you feel about it. Go here and click on the links for the city council members and here for the mayor's office. If you're concerned about the freezes and their impact on city services in the city and your neighborhoods, also contact them.
On the consent calendar for today's city council evening session is this item which is the recommendations from the Mayor's Nomination and Screening Committee in regards to who should be appointed or interviewed for appointment on the city's boards and commissions. Missing from the list is the Ward Four vacancy for the Board of Library Trustees, which was the focus of much discussion by several of the committee members at the Jan. 15 meeting.
In this minute order, it states that the committee without formal motion all agreed that Mayor Ron Loveridge and Ward Four Councilman Frank Schiavone will coordinate to fill this vacancy on the Board of Library Trustees.
Which might be great news for Hudson. Or not. The current weather forecast at City Hall on this issue is swirling winds. After all, once again it's an election year.
A Riverside County Sheriff's Department captain is bringing a doctorate degree in sociology to his assignment in Perris.
The Los Angeles Police Department can't police itself.
So stated an audit conducted by the inspector general of the Los Angeles Police Commission in a 34-page report that cited problems involving the investigations of complaints filed against police officers in this department.
(excerpt)
The audit, which is expected to be presented to the civilian Police Commission today, examined how 60 complaints filed against officers in recent years were handled by the officers' supervisors and investigators in the department's internal affairs group. In 29 of the cases -- nearly half of the time -- it found some sort of flaw, including investigators who inaccurately recorded statements and failed to interview witnesses or identify accused officers. In some cases, investigators failed to address allegations of misconduct at all. "We are always concerned about the quality of our investigations," said Deputy Chief Mark Perez, head of internal affairs. "We take these findings very seriously."
Although Perez said the report's findings would be used to improve training of internal affairs officers, he dismissed the notion that the report amounted to a serious indictment of the quality of complaint investigations. Mistakes may be made, he said, but they rarely, if ever, affect the decision of whether to discipline officers.
"With the volume of cases we get each year, we cannot spend an infinite amount of time on every complaint," he said. "We make judgment calls that someone second-guessing us afterward might not like. . . . But I have a very high level of confidence that the adjudication at the end is right."
He might but he and his department might be alone there. Especially if the problems the audit revealed remain problems. It's interesting in that some of the problems found in the audit done on the LAPD's complaint process are not much different than those found in the audit of the Portland Police Bureau's internal affairs division done by Eileen Luna-Firebaugh. These being failures to interview all the witnesses to an alleged incident of misconduct.
Others revealed in the audit of the LAPD included failure to include photographs of injuries for investigations involving allegations of excessive force. Investigators would also paraphrase eyewitness accounts of events by civilians to favor exoneration of the involved officers.
There's a job opening in Eugene, Oregon in connection with civilian oversight. Given all the interesting events surrounding the Auditor's office there, it's the right time to look into this amazing career opportunity.
City of Eugene, Oregon Deputy Police Auditor
$45,510 - $61,838 / Annually
Closing Date: February 22, 2008
The Deputy Police Auditor assists the Police Auditor in providing independent, external oversight of investigations of complaints involving police employees. This may include receiving complaints; monitoring or participating in internal investigations to ensure objective, thorough, and high quality investigations; preparing reports on complaint trends and police practices.
The Deputy Police Auditor assists the Police Auditor in providing staff support to the Civilian Review Board appointed by the City Council.This position is characterized by the Deputy Police Auditor's ability to assist the Police Auditor in providing fair and objective oversight of the police complaint process, building credibility among diverse audiences, and instilling public confidence in the complaint system.
The responsibilities of the Deputy Police Auditor are broad in scope and require the highest degree of professional, independent judgment, personal integrity, and accountability. The Deputy Police Auditor performs work that is highly complex, and often involves sensitive and confidential issues.
Qualifications include a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Public Administration, Business Administration, Human Resources, Criminal Justice, or related field(s). A Master's degree or Juris Doctorate from an accredited college or university is desirable. Must also have some experience performing staff support related to professional oversight or policy development and analysis,preferably in the public sector.
Experience relating to alternative dispute resolution is highly desirable.
Eugene is known as the "World's Greatest City of the Arts &Outdoors!" for its exciting mix of arts, culture, education, scenic beauty, and passion for recreation. The Willamette and McKenzie rivers, more than 100 parks and 2,600 acres of open space, festivals and shows year-round, the Hult Center for the Performing Arts with two world-class theaters, the University of Oregon, Lane Community College, and an active downtown are just some of the local attractions.
Eugene is also favorably located close to great hiking, skiing, the world famous Oregon coast, and the Portland metropolitan area.
Learn more about Eugene at:<http://www.eugene-or.gov/> <http://www.eugene-or.gov/>http://www.eugene-or.gov/ <http://www.eugene-or.gov/> .
Interested candidates should submit an official City of Eugeneapplication form in order to be considered for this position.
To applyonline, access the City of Eugene Job Opportunity page at www.eugene-or. gov/jobs <http://www.eugene-or.gov/jobs> . Forms are also available at the Cit of Eugene Human Resources office. (Office hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday through Friday.)
APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED DURING THE POSTING PERIOD ONLY, AND MUST BE SUBMITTED PRIOR TO 5:00 PMON THE CLOSING DATE.
If you do not apply online, you may submit your application in person, by mail, or by fax to (541) 682-6831 by 5:00 pm on the closing date. If faxed, your originals must be submitted to Human Resources immediately thereafter. You must submit a new application for each position. Current information about job postings is also available by calling the Job Information Line (541) 682-5061.
San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong demoted a deputy chief because of his inappropriate handling of a domestic violence case involving his son who is also an officer, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
(excerpt)
"Effective Saturday, Deputy Chief Stephen Tacchini will return to his permanent civil service rank of captain," Sgt. Neville Gittens, a department spokesman, said in a statement that did not explain the basis for the action.
Tacchini, a 31-year veteran officer, served less than a month as deputy chief of the department's field operations bureau. Tacchini's salary will drop from $220,000 a year to $163,000 annually.
While command staff officers may revert to lower captain or lieutenant rank as part of a change of administration, this is the first time in recent memory a deputy chief has been reduced in rank to a captain by a chief still in office. All those command staff members serve at the pleasure of the chief.
Tacchini's son, James, meanwhile, has been placed on administrative duties following the Jan. 19 incident when officers went to the apartment of a woman he had been dating. He allegedly had been drinking and was carrying a weapon - an apparent violation of department policy - but was never tested for intoxication, The Chronicle was told. The decision to disarm him came as he was leaving and was met by Sgt. John Bragagnolo at the door.
New Haven's police department seldom gets a break and now a police detective has been accused of stealing money from the department.
(excerpt, NBC30)
Clarence Willoughby, a 24-year veteran of the embattled force, turned himself in at police headquarters Wednesday, investigators said.
He is accused of stealing money from the police department's confidential informants' funds. The arrest warrants are sealed, but police said the charges against Willoughby stem from four cases that took place between 2003 and 2007. Willoughby allegedly pocketed thousands of dollars from public funds that are supposed to be doled out to people who help the department solve crimes.
"Our investigation has found that that did not happen, that the individuals did not get the dollar amounts they were to receive," Police Chief Francisco Ortiz said.
Some more police employees in Indiana won't be charged after being videotaped photographing a woman from a cell phone who was posing for them.
The civilian employee who took the photograph was terminated from his position. There were also officers who received suspensions as well.
And what reason did the department provide for their actions?
(excerpt)
"It's humiliating, it's embarrassing," he said. "The police station is a secure facility where there's cameras all over the place, and they let their guard down, and they got caught up in the moment and forgot they were working."
According to the Boston Globe, the Boston Police Department has been allowing officers accused of domestic violence to keep their guns.
(excerpt)
In retrospect, Boston Police Department officials said, they should never have allowed Officer Leonard F. Brown to carry his gun.
Brown, they said, shouldn't have had it last summer, while his former wife had an active restraining order against him. Specifically, he shouldn't have had it July 26, when he was accused of flashing his department- issued .40-caliber Glock to a former in-law during what has been described as a vodka- infused tirade, saying, "Do you know who you're [expletive] with?"
"We missed him," Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis said in an interview.
But while Brown may be the most egregious example, he is hardly alone. The Boston Police Department - unlike the State Police - has repeatedly allowed officers accused of domestic-related threats or violence to continue carrying guns, a Globe review has found. The department allows the practice, usually with more restrictions than Brown had, so that officers can continue working regular patrol shifts and detail shifts at nightclubs and construction sites.
Yet that policy runs counter to a recommendation from an internal Police Department committee, which said in 2005 that all officers subject to restraining orders should be stripped of their weapons for the duration of the orders.
The internal committee also found that the department's in-house counseling program for officers accused of domestic violence was lacking.
During a prostitution sting, one of those caught was an off-duty sheriff deputy.
In Chicago, Llana Rosenzweig, who heads the Independent Police Review Authority has her work cut out for her, dealing with the scandal-plagued police department there.
(excerpt, Los Angeles Times)
Before Rosenzweig came to Chicago, a string of police- related shootings in the city's South Side and West Side had residents screaming at Police Board meetings. The public's mood remained grim when videotapes surfaced showing an off-duty officer beating up a female bartender, and a group of officers pummeling four businessmen in a downtown bar.
Critics have long contended that the Independent Police Review Authority, formerly known as the Office of Professional Standards, either didn't have enough resources to root out problem officers or didn't have enough support from the city or the department for it to do a thorough job.
A report released last year by University of Chicago researchers said the city's police had more brutality complaints per officer than the national average.
Between 2002 and 2004, civilians filed 10,149 complaints of false arrest, illegal search, sexual or racial abuse, or excessive force.
Only 19 of those cases resulted in an officer being suspended for a week or more, said civil rights lawyer Craig Futterman, a University of Chicago law professor who worked on the report.
Bobby Cutts, jr. a former Canton Police Department officer took the stand in his murder trial.
Labels: battering while blue, City Hall blues, civilian review spreads, corruption 101, Making the grade, Video police review
posted by Five Before Midnight | 10:47 AM
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