seventeenth-quarterly-report.pdf

Seventeenth Quarterly Report of the Independent Monitor for the Oakland Police Department April 28, 2014 Page 67 Discussion: As noted above and in our last report, OPD revised and issued Departmental General Order D- 17, Personnel Assessment Program in November 2013. Based on the existing policy, we again find OPD in continued Phase 1 compliance with this Task. For this reporting period, we continued our examination of the stages of the PAS process consistent with this Task. We examined the threshold analyses that were performed for the period of October 1, through December 31, 2013. This included a review of peer-based threshold analyses completed by the PAS Administration Unit and the identification of officers meeting the single-event threshold. In accordance with this Task requirement, we reviewed PAS processes for the system’s use in placement of officers on special assignment, transfer of officers, and commendations. An important function of PAS is to regularly provide supervisors with relevant information on officers. To consider that function, we again reviewed reports of regular quarterly PAS command reviews of officers by supervisors. We found appropriate use of the system and no significant issues. The PAS process also calls for follow-up reports of officers under supervision or monitoring, as well as reports of officers not discharged from the process by the end of one year. We again reviewed reports that were completed during the current reporting period. These document supervisory reviews of officers who have been selected for some form of action as a result of PAS reviews. For the reporting period ending December 31, 2013, OPD concluded a total of 11 PAS reviews; down from 21 in the previous reporting period. Those declines reflect both the change to initial internal reviews, which started under the revised policy during the quarter; and efforts to reduce the number of false positive finding where reviews revealed no significant problems. Two additional reviews that were begun in the previous quarter were completed during the reporting period. Reviews are included in the table below only after they are signed off through the level of the PAS Review Panel. The table also shows that 26 officers exceeded thresholds for review during this quarter. The table below tracks the review process and shows that supervisors recommended that no action be taken in 10, or 90% of the 11 reviews for the current reporting period. That is up from 71% the previous quarter, and is higher than expected based on past practice. The table also shows that Commanders and Deputy Chief did not disagree with any lower-level recommendations. The PAS Review Panel reversed one on case by requiring monitoring. During the current reporting period, there were substantial changes made to the risk management process. Under the new policy, internal initial reviews within the PAS Unit began during the quarter. The unit has also recently come under new leadership. At the same time, OPD completed extensive work on the development and implementation of the new risk management database. This activity and the small number of cases overall may contribute of the outcomes Case3:00-cv-04599-TEH Document979 Filed04/28/14 Page68 of 88