Carlsbad Police brief commission on complaint process, disability 'blue envelope' program, staffing and drone use

Carlsbad Police Chief Calderwood presented an overview of the department's personnel-complaint procedure, summarized complaint statistics for calendar year 2024 and described several community-facing programs and recent City Council actions affecting policing.

Chief Calderwood said the department's personnel complaint rule is Policy 10-20 and "provides guidelines for the reporting, investigation and disposition of complaints regarding the conduct of the Carlsbad Police Department members." He told the commission the department investigated 26 complaints in 2024: 7 were officer-involved traffic collisions, 5 came from internal sources and 14 were received from external complainants. Findings for those 26 investigations were two exonerated, eight unfounded, seven sustained and two not sustained; the most common allegation was discourtesy.

The complaint form the chief showed to commissioners has an acknowledgement referencing California Penal Code section 148.6 and offers options for anonymous submission by mail, email or in person. Calderwood said complainants receive a written acknowledgement when a complaint is opened and are notified when an investigation is complete, but personnel-file confidentiality means they are not told specific discipline. He…