Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Oversight topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
OCC director explains complaint process, timetables and 2014–2015 findings
Summary
Joyce Hicks, director of the Office of Citizen Complaints, outlined the OCC’s investigative role, procedures, subpoena power, confidentiality rules and statistics from 2014–2015, and urged residents to use OCC channels to file allegations of police misconduct.
San Francisco — Joyce Hicks, director of the Office of Citizen Complaints, addressed the Police Commission and community on Jan. 20 to explain how members of the public may file complaints against officers and what to expect from OCC investigations.
Hicks said the OCC is intended to be a bridge between the public and the police in matters of misconduct and policy development; it was created by a voter-approved charter amendment and became operational in 1983. She described the investigative steps OCC follows: interview complainant, interview involved officers and witnesses, gather videos and documentary evidence, subpoena testimony or records if necessary, visit incident sites and photograph injuries when appropriate.
On timelines, Hicks said the OCC’s goal is to complete investigations within nine months and, with limited exceptions, within one year. She gave preliminary 2015 figures: 673 complaints received with 57 sustained findings (about 9%); 2014 had 728 complaints with sustained rates near 8%. She also described the OCC’s mediation program (45 mediations in 2015), redacted public complaint summaries, and language/access services for non-English complainants.
Hicks concluded by identifying how the public may file complaints (walk-in at the OCC office at 2525 Van Ness, by phone, email, online form, fax or through district stations) and by noting that a senior investigator (Edward McMahon) was in the audience to speak with individuals about filing complaints.
