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OCC reports sustained findings in six cases; director and chief disagree on some dispositions; commission rejects OCC budget
Summary
OCC Director Joyce Hicks reported six sustained adjudications for January 2012, mostly neglect of duty, and described an ongoing disagreement with the chief over one case; the commission expressed concern about proposed OCC staff cuts and voted 4–1 to not approve the OCC budget as drafted.
Joyce Hicks, director of the Office of Citizen Complaints, presented the OCC's January 2012 adjudication summary on Feb. 22 and outlined outreach activities. Hicks said the OCC forwarded six cases with sustainable allegations to the chief for adjudication between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, 2012; most were neglect‑of‑duty findings and discipline ranged from written reprimands to suspension.
Hicks described cases including failure to enter incident reports, failure to log traffic‑stop data and a case in which an on‑duty inspector left a service revolver and related equipment in a hotel safe. The OCC found neglect of duty in the hotel safe matter; the chief disagreed and found the officer's conduct proper because the firearm was secured and retrieved through hotel security procedures. Hicks said the OCC and chief agreed to confer before future divergent adjudications.
Commissioners pressed for transparency and asked how disagreements are resolved; some commissioners said they valued detailed OCC reporting as a teachable moment for officers, while others said the commission need not review every sub‑10‑day disciplinary matter. Hicks said the OCC provides the adjudication reports under the city charter and that reductions proposed in the OCC budget would force the office to eliminate positions and reduce language access (Burmese and Mandarin) and training capacity.
When the commission took up the OCC budget (line item 7), commissioners raised concerns about investigator caseloads (best practices cited ~16 cases per investigator), training budgets (about $55,000 for 35 staff), and potential loss of clerical support that would push investigative staff to absorb administrative tasks. The commission voted 4–1 not to approve the OCC budget as drafted; the director noted that historically proposed cuts have sometimes not been enacted in final city budgets, but commissioners asked for stronger protections for the OCC's capacity to fulfill charter mandates.
