19th-quarterly-report.pdf

Nineteenth Quarterly Report of the Independent Monitor for the Oakland Police Department October 30, 2014 Page 27 In three cases, members and employees alleged that another employee or supervisor was involved in harassment and discrimination, creating a hostile work environment within their units. In one of the cases, the supervisor had reported the inappropriate conduct by an employee at line-up. Another case involved allegations of inappropriate comments by a director in a workplace environment. In one case, an employee alleged that he was assaulted by another employee. IAD found that the supervisor acted appropriately in handling and reporting the conduct. Another case found that a civilian supervisor failed to properly supervise her subordinates. The final case involved a review of a canine deployment by the Force Review Board. The supervisor approved the use of the canine; however, the FRB found that the canine bite of the canine was unreasonable and not in compliance with Department policy. The board determined that the sergeant was on the search team for the suspect and authorized the use of the canine. When the subject was located, the subject complained of a dog bite. However, the supervisor reported that there was no indication that the canine made contact with the suspect. The FRB found that the canine had contact with the suspect, and the supervisor who conducted the UOF investigation did not conduct a complete and thorough investigation. As we have discussed with OPD, the investigation report’s member/employee accountability section should include an analysis of whether it was reasonable for a supervisor – through reviewing reports, investigating force, or supervising an officer – to identify misconduct. A transparent organization identifies – through close and effective supervision – any possible misconduct of its members. During this reporting period, the cases that we reviewed properly evaluated supervisors’ accountability. OPD is in compliance with this Task. Compliance Status: Phase 1: In compliance Phase 2: In compliance Next Steps: During our next site visit, we will, as in the past, meet with the IAD Commander to discuss any Task 16-applicable cases for the next reporting period and steps the Department is taking to improve IAD investigators’ evaluations of supervisors’ accountability.