FPC audit finds high compliance on key DV investigation tasks but flags documentation gaps

The Fire and Police Commission Oversight and Accountability Committee reviewed an audit of Milwaukee Police Department domestic violence (DV) calls covering Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2023. FPC Audit Manager Sean Ratclaw presented the audit and said it was a stratified sample drawn from the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system.

Ratclaw told the committee the audit sampled 61 calls from the larger population of DV calls. Of those, 42 records were confirmed as domestic-violence incidents for purposes of the audit. The audit reviewed CAD entries, body-worn and squad-camera footage, arrest reports where applicable, and incident reports to assess compliance with MPD Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 114 (Domestic Violence) and related requirements.

Key findings presented to commissioners included: - C-20 disposition (administrative coding that identifies a call as domestic violence) was present in 25 of 42 audited DV incidents (59.22%). Auditors said C-20 is an administrative tool that aids tracking and open-records requests but does not determine case validity. - Probable cause for arrest was documented in 39 of 42 audited DV incidents (92.86%). Audit staff said three instances failed the probable-cause objective because officers needed to ask additional investigative questions or use an interpreter. - Good-faith efforts to locate suspects were documented in 23 of 24 applicable cases (95.83%). Auditors cautioned that in one case documentation of attempts to locate a suspect was missing even though the officer may have acted. - Questioning of prisoners (documentation of Miranda and related steps) was documented in 4 of 15 arrest cases (26.67%); auditors flagged missing dated Miranda statements or explicit narrative documentation in several arrest reports. - Prior domestic-violence history was documented in 39 of 39 applicable records (100%). - The DV hotline (victim-advocate referral) was documented in 33 of 39 applicable records (84.62%). - Required victim referral notices (PV-17) were documented in 38 of 42 cases (90.48%). - Evidence documentation (for example, injury photos) was found in 34 of 38 applicable records (89.47%). - Professional conduct and courtesy were documented at a 100% rate in reviewed footage and reports; auditors reported no instances of recorded discourtesy, profanity, or unprofessional conduct in the sample.

Ratclaw said many failures appeared to be administrative or documentation gaps rather than failures of investigation or victim services. He recommended improved administrative completion of required fields in records management systems and better narrative documentation of actions such as Miranda warnings and attempts to locate a suspect.

Assistant Chief Sarno of the Milwaukee Police Department told commissioners the department treats domestic violence seriously and is treating SOP 114 as a ''living document.'' He said MPD has expanded ''soft spaces'' in district stations so victims have a private, supportive area rather than a public lobby, and that training on trauma-informed policing and DV high-risk-team responsibilities has been advanced since the audit period. Sarno also said instances of officer noncompliance can result in corrective action and discipline when appropriate.

Commissioners asked whether community partners, such as Sojourner Truth House (the DV hotline/advocacy provider discussed during the presentation), had been shown the audit findings. Ratclaw said audits in this series were aimed at internal MPD improvement and had not been shared directly with outside partners but that the audit report and related documents are posted on the FPC website and Legistar.

The audit item was presented as a communication; no formal committee action was required.