Watchdogs Decline To Watch Cops Panel Has Shied From Big Issues Like Brutality

Document Page: WATCHDOGS DECLINE TO WATCH COPS PANEL HAS SHIED FROM BIG ISSUES LIKE BRUTALITY
8/11/13 9:26 PM
WATCHDOGS DECLINE TO WATCH COPS PANEL HAS SHIED FROM BIG ISSUES LIKE BRUTALITY By DAVID ASHENFELTER and JOE SWICKARD FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERSDetroit Free Press; Detroit, Mich. 12-30-2000 WATCHDOGS DECLINE TO WATCH COPS PANEL HAS SHIED FROM BIG ISSUES LIKE BRUTALITY Byline: By DAVID ASHENFELTER and JOE SWICKARD FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS Edition: METRO FINAL Section: NWS Type: News As an oversight group, the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners is focused on improving customer service and getting more cops on the streets. But when it comes to tough, big-ticket issues such as police brutality and the soaring cost of liability lawsuits, the commission often is a silent partner of the department. A Free Press analysis of the Police Commission's minutes for the past 11 years and interviews with commissioners has found that the commission often acts more like a cheerleader for the department than the citizen watchdog many envisioned when it was created in 1974. Over the years, records show the panel eerily silent and seemingly uninterested through a succession of scandals, controversies and embarassments. Its members said little when former Police Chief William Hart was caught stealing millions of dollars from the department in 1990. They never questioned the department when guns were stolen from the police property room in 1993, when prisoners skyjacked a department helicopter in 1994 or when the head of the Homicide Section was ousted amid allegations she had used
http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/elibweb/elib/do/document?set=pbsissue&gCLib;document;167521165&style=printable&edition=&start=26&language= Page 1 of 8
8/11/13 9:26 PM
unethical tactics to obtain confessions in 1997. Four years ago, the commission had a prime opportunity to tackle the issue of police shootings when a nationally recognized consultant warned the department was taking a beating in lawsuits and needed to set up a computer system to track problem officers. But instead of forcing the city to enact reforms, commissioners again sat by passively. They apparently didn't even get a copy of the report. Today, the department continues to lead the nation in its rate of fatal shootings by officers and it is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, which could mandate the consultant's recommendation. "If the commission had been doing its job, there would be no need for a Justice Department investigation," said Samuel Walker, a University of Nebraska criminal justice professor and author of the book "Police Accountability: The Role of Citizen Oversight." That a consultant documented the department's shortcomings in 1997 and the commission didn't have the report "means they don't know what's going on in the department," Walker said. Commission Chairman Edgar Vann Jr., a Detroit pastor, said the panel does a good job with the resources it has. "How effective can we be if we're volunteers who only meet once a week?" asked Vann. Vann said he, like other commissioners, devotes 10 to 20 hours a week to Police Commission duties: attending ceremonies, reviewing citizen complaints,
http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/elibweb/elib/do/document?set=pbsissue&gCLib;document;167521165&style=printable&edition=&start=26&language=
Page 2 of 8
8/11/13 9:26 PM
studying appeals from disciplined officers and reading material to prepare. All that, Vann said, leaves little time to aggressively investigate the shortcomings of a department. In a move critics say is symbolic of the commission's diminished role as a citizen watchdog, Police Chief Benny Napoleon appointed a separate citizens group this fall to scrutinize the department's use of deadly force. The Police Commission had to go to Mayor Dennis Archer before the citizens group would let a commission employee observe its meetings -- in silence. "It was a slap in the face of the Police Commission," said Edward Littlejohn, a retired Wayne State University law professor, who was a member of the first commission in the mid-1970s. "If they had been a strong commission, none of this would have happened," said Littlejohn. Board regaining muscle Detroit's five-member commission -- in consultation with the police chief and with the approval of the mayor -- controls the department's budget, sets policies and procedures and is the final authority in imposing discipline on police employees. The board also can sway public opinion through pronouncements at its weekly meetings -- if members make waves. The commission was created in a city charter in 1974 to tame a notoriously racist and brutal police force. It came into being several months after the city's first black mayor, Coleman Young, had taken office on a promise to end police oppression.
Page 3 of 8
8/11/13 9:26 PM
With Young's backing, the first commission pushed reforms, forcing a hostile department to hire and promote blacks and other minorities and allowing civilians to investigate complaints. Littlejohn attributed the board's successes to the kind of people Young appointed. Half of his first appointees were influential lawyers who knew how to confront a bureaucracy reluctant to accept civilian control. After commissioners won the battles and their terms expired, Young replaced them with political loyalists who were less likely to rock the boat. By 1990, commission minutes show, the group had stagnated to the point that commissioners were meeting about a half-hour a week. Many meetings lasted 10 minutes or less. And more than one-third of the time, the commission lacked a quorum to take any official action. Commissioners rarely questioned department executives, the minutes show, and routinely approved policies, promotions and other changes with almost no discussion or debate. Since 1994, when Archer took office, the commission has regained some of its muscle, the Free Press found. Its average meeting length has nearly doubled to an hour, it almost never meets without a quorum and members routinely ask questions. Archer's commissioners have become advocates for improving police services. They forced the department to disconnect an automatic answering system that gave callers recorded messages rather than an officer when they called precincts. They fought to increase uniformed officers and marked cars in
Page 4 of 8
8/11/13 9:26 PM
neighborhoods and saved the police mounted unit. They also worked with Napoleon on a program to train all employees in customer service and cultural sensitivity. Weak when it counts But the commission has shied away from issues such as police brutality, questionable shootings of civilians and mistreatment of prisoners that added to the city's $124-million payout for lawsuits against the department since 1987. After police shootings became a hot-button issue this summer, the commission held a public hearing to allow the public to vent. But it hasn't convened a public inquiry to find out why Detroit police have a higher rate of fatal shootings than officers in other cities. Sanford Cohen, a retired Wayne State University administrator who served on the board until last year, said the commission rarely gets into liability issues because the city Law Department considers lawsuits its turf. City Council members said the commission needs more independence. Because the mayor can remove commissioners without giving a reason, some said they're less likely to stir controversy. Said Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel: "If you serve at the pleasure of the mayor, you have less autonomy." Vann and Archer disagreed. Archer said in an interview that he has never tried to influence the commission. Littlejohn, the former police commissioner, said commissioners simply need more willpower.
Page 5 of 8
8/11/13 9:26 PM
"There has to be a tension between chief and commission for the system to work because their interests aren't the same," Littlejohn said. "If there's no tension, you're probably not doing your job very effectively." TALK AND MORE TALK More than 20 years ago, the Detroit Police Department started talking about setting up a computer system to identify problem officers to prevent lawsuits. The department still doesn't have one. * Late 1970s, early 1980s: Police officials start planning the system but are sidetracked by infighting and budget concerns. * June 24, 1993: Outgoing Commissioner Harold Gurewitz urges colleagues to deal with risk management for lawsuits. * May 16, 1996: The commission is told that Merrick Bobb, a risk expert, is studying the department. * Jan. 30, 1997: Bobb's proposals include a computer system to track problem officers. * Oct. 16, 1997: Commissioners are told the system should be ready by early 1998. * Early 1998: Commissioners are told that a specialist is collecting data for the system. * April 20, 2000: Second Deputy Chief Ursula Henry tells commissioners that the system will be online in six months. * Dec. 20, 2000: Henry tells the Free Press that the city is still writing the computer program.
Page 6 of 8
8/11/13 9:26 PM
Source: Police commission minutes and Free Press research ABOUT THE POLICE COMMISSION Meetings: 3 p.m. every Thursday at Detroit police headquarters, 1300 Beaubien. Once a month, it meets in the evening in the community. To reach the commission, call 313-596-1830. Members: Five citizens, appointed by the mayor to 5-year terms, subject to City Council approval. The mayor may remove members without giving a reason. Compensation/perks: $4,000 annual stipend for members and $5,000 for chairperson, a badge, police radios for car and home, parking in police garage and a sticker allowing them to park anywhere in Detroit without being ticketed. Employees: 28, most of whom investigate citizen complaints. Budget: $2.3 million. Current Commissioners * Edgar Vann Jr. , commission chairman, Detroit pastor. * Nathaniel Head , vice chairman, UAW official. * Eva Garza Dewaelsche , executive director of La Sed Inc., a Hispanic social service agency in Detroit, and former police officer. * Zeline Richard , former chair of the 14th Congressional District Democratic organization. * Stanley Marx , former president of an east-side scrap metal smelting company. Contact DAVID ASHENFELTER at 313-223-4490 or ashenf@freepress.com. Contact JOE SWICKARD at 313-223-4557 or swickard@freepress.com.
Page 7 of 8
8/11/13 9:26 PM
ILLUSTRATION: Photo GABRIEL B. TAIT/Detroit Free Press CAPTION: are too busy to aggressively investigate the Detroit Police Department's shortcomings CAPTIONWRITER: Edgar Vann Jr., chairman of the oversight commission, said the panel's members MEMO: SIDEBARS ATTACHED DISCLAIMER: THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM THE PRINTED ARTICLE. Copyright 2000 - Detroit Free Press - All Rights Reverved
Citation for your reference:
By DAVID ASHENFELTER and JOE SWICKARD FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS. "WATCHDOGS DECLINE TO WATCH COPS PANEL HAS SHIED FROM BIG ISSUES LIKE BRUTALITY." Detroit Free Press; Detroit, Mich.. 30 Dec. 2000: A1. eLibrary. Web. 11 Aug. 2013.
By DAVID ASHENFELTER and JOE SWICKARD FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS "WATCHDOGS DECLINE TO WATCH COPS PANEL HAS SHIED FROM BIG ISSUES LIKE BRUTALITY." Detroit Free Press; Detroit, Mich.. 2000, December 30: A1.
Copyright 2013 ProQuest LLC All rights reserved. - Terms and Conditions
Page 8 of 8

Watchdogs Decline To Watch Cops Panel Has Shied From Big Issues Like Brutality

Diunggah oleh

Informasi Dokumen

Judul Asli

Hak Cipta

Format Tersedia

Bagikan dokumen Ini

Bagikan atau Tanam Dokumen

Opsi Berbagi

Apakah menurut Anda dokumen ini bermanfaat?

Apakah konten ini tidak pantas?

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

Watchdogs Decline To Watch Cops Panel Has Shied From Big Issues Like Brutality

Diunggah oleh

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

Document Page: WATCHDOGS DECLINE TO WATCH COPS PANEL HAS SHIED FROM BIG ISSUES LIKE BRUTALITY

Citation for your reference:

Anda mungkin juga menyukai