19th-quarterly-report.pdf

Nineteenth Quarterly Report of the Independent Monitor for the Oakland Police Department October 30, 2014 Page 65 The development work on IPAS2 is continuing with the consulting firm managing the process in an efficient and effective manner. The system vendor has indicated that a 10-month turnaround time on the project should be expected, beginning after the scope of work is agreed upon and the contract finalized. That process moved forward to the City government and City Council last quarter and remains there. Given the importance of this project, we will continue to review progress on the new system. During the last quarter, significant policy changes were implemented, new data processes were implemented department wide, and work toward a new risk management database was being done. Further development of the new database now awaits Council action. As for the use of the system, the policy changes are in place and the system is operating as planned. But as previously noted, the outcome of all of this effort is not yet entirely clear. This time period, however, does provide an opportunity for further work on the proper utilization and maximization of benefits from the system. A focus on officers who continue to exceed thresholds, and attention to the effectiveness of monitoring and supervision, would be valuable directions to take. They would provide additional opportunities for the department to refine its problem solving abilities when it comes to identifying and addressing risk. The Department has done extensive work on policy revision and its implementation with regard to risk management. It has also embarked on an extensive effort to upgrade its related database and applications. That is a long-term project that, in and of itself, will not guarantee compliance. Nor does its lack of completion mean that full compliance cannot be achieved in the meantime. As we have noted, compliance in this area does not depend only on instituting specific procedures. This Task is focused on the effective management of risk. Now, with the policy initiatives in place and the technical work proceeding, the Department is in a position to focus its attention on the effectiveness of this process. There are positive signs, including the monthly risk management meetings that take place. Greater attention can also be paid to other issues such as risk repeaters and officers whose behavior is not altered by intervention. Training or officers and supervisors may also warrant additional concern. It is worth noting that this time may represent a significant turning point from which the developmental and procedural issues can be secondary to concern over the ability to identify officers who may need redirection, to make sound decisions throughout this process, and to be effective in the management of risk for officers and for the Department. Compliance Status: Phase 1: In compliance Phase 2: Partial compliance