April
2003
Investigating
The Police
Most young people encounter the criminal
justice system for the first time with police (otherwise
known as the 5-.0, the heat, pigs, po-po, etc., etc). Police
are responsible for patrolling the streets and arresting
people they suspect have broken the law. When police arrest
people, they write reports and decide what crimes to charge.
These charges and reports heavily influence what happens
from the moment of arrest until the case is decided. This
heavy influence, plus the ever growing number of police
brutality cases in communities of color, make it crucial
that we acquire skills that will help us keep police accountable,
protect our civil rights, and fight back against police
brutality.
There are many different police agencies including
state troopers, Sheriffs (county), municipal, college and
city police-all operating on different levels with different
functions. In this section we will focus our attention on
city level police departments. Below you will find a short
list of Frequently Asked Questions. We list useful government
agencies and departments that can help you answer common
questions about your local police officers or department.
Police Misconduct
Q: How can I get a background check/discipline
record on a police officer?
Police Internal Affairs Office: You
will have to file a public record request with the Internal
Affairs Office of your local police department. The Internal
Affairs office's primary responsibility is to receive, record,
and gather statistics and to investigate all complaints
(that are filed) made by the public relating to police misconduct.
Note: This Office only investigates complaints
that are filed with the city. This means that neither their
statistics nor an officer's disciplinary record are completely
accurate measures of the actual number of occurrences of
police misconduct but it is the only "official"
record of misconduct and therefore it can be useful to get
your hands on this.
Q: Is there a Civilian Review Board
in my town?
City Manger: Local Civilian Review
Boards are usually housed under the City Manager. The City
Attorney's Office acts as counsel to the Civilian Review
Board so you can check with them also to see if a Civilian
Review Board exists in your city.
Q: What are the statistics of how
many complaints are investigated?
Civilian Review Board/Internal Affairs
Office: The CRB keeps statistics on all cases that come
through them. You must file a public record request to them.
The IAO collaborates with the CRB and would be a second
option if you have no CRB in your town.
Q: How much money has the city paid
out in settlements for police abuse and misconduct cases?
City Attorney Office: The City Attorney's
Office acts as the lawyer for the city, including the mayor,
police, and other city agencies. This office is charged
with keeping track of the total money paid out in settlement
cases. You can sometimes get this information right off
their web site. If not, you'll have to file a public records
request.
Police Funding
Q: What is the budget of my city police
department?
City Budget: The police department's
annual budget is part of the city's annual budget. The City
Manger's Office produces the budget document. For most cities
in California, these budgets are available on the city's
homepage.
Q: How much do cops make?
Police Human Resources: This office
manages the hiring and career information of the police
department.
General Questions
Q: How many police are in my town?
Police Public Relations Department:
This office handles all public affairs (information, reports,
etc.) on the police department and media relations.
Q: How many POC (People of Color)
are there on my police force as opposed to white officers?
Police Public Relations Office: Same
as above
A joint project of the DataCenter's Criminal
Justice Program & Youth
Strategy Project and Books
not Bars
