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San Francisco OCC reports 728 complaints in 2014; director outlines process and mediation results
Summary
Joyce Hicks, director of San Francisco's Office of Citizen Complaints, told the Police Commission the OCC received 728 complaints in 2014, sustained findings in 8% of closed cases, and completed 50 mediations last year as part of oversight and accountability efforts.
Joyce Hicks, director of the San Francisco Office of Citizen Complaints, told the Police Commission on July 22 that the OCC received 728 complaints in 2014 and aims to complete investigations within nine months, with legal limits in California often extending to a year.
"We received 728 complaints in 2014," Hicks said, noting that sustained findings occurred in about 8% of the cases closed that year and that mediation is an active part of the office's work. "Last year, the OCC mediated 50 cases, which represents 7% of the 706 cases we closed last year." She said the OCC uses the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard and, when recommended discipline exceeds 10 days, forwards findings to the Police Commission.
Hicks described OCC resources and process: the office has 35 employees (planned to grow to 39 with budget enhancements), subpoena power to compel testimony, multilingual intake and mediation services, and procedures to visit incident sites and gather photographic and documentary evidence. She said the largest categories of allegations were "unwarranted action" and "conduct reflecting discredit," and that unnecessary force represented 8% of allegations with sustained findings in roughly 3—% of sustained allegations.
Commissioners asked how newly authorized OCC positions would be allocated. Hicks said the authorized additions include investigator positions, one attorney, and an information-technology post; she also described outreach and language-access practices to receive complaints in Spanish, Cantonese and other languages.
The director emphasized the OCC's independent role in bridging community concerns and police accountability, citing the office's charter-origin in a 1982 voter-approved charter amendment and its separate oversight status from the department.
The commission did not take a vote on OCC policy at the meeting; Hicks's presentation concluded with an offer for investigators to answer follow-up questions from commissioners and members of the public.
