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OCC reports more complaints; four adjudicated cases led to admonishments
Summary
The Office of Citizen Complaints reported 80 new cases in March 2012 and 365 pending cases as of March 31. Director Joyce Hicks summarized four adjudicated cases resulting in admonishments and other dispositions; commissioners asked for clarifications about specific case dispositions.
Director Joyce Hicks told the commission that the OCC opened 80 cases in March 2012, a roughly 14% increase over March 2011, and that year‑to‑date case openings (201) were up 6% from the prior year. As of March 31, the OCC had 365 pending cases. Hicks said the OCC mediated a portion of cases and sustained allegations in four adjudicated matters during the reporting period.
Hicks summarized the adjudicated cases: one admonishment for conduct reflecting discredit (spitting/chewing tobacco while interacting with a complainant); a neglect‑of‑duty finding where an officer failed to inform a juvenile that a parent or guardian could be present during questioning (citing DGO 7.01); an unwarranted‑action finding where a captain improperly caused a vehicle to be seized; and a neglect‑of‑duty finding for failure to log traffic stop data. Hicks said she would follow up on a commissioner’s request to confirm the exact disposition for one of the cases.
Commissioners and public commenters asked whether OCC reporting could disaggregate complaints alleging unnecessary force, sustained vs. not‑sustained findings, and comparative metrics for other departments. Director Hicks said the OCC’s companion reports include statistics and outreach efforts but did not provide a detailed breakdown by allegation type at the meeting.
