CPD Professional Standards Unit releases third quarter report
The department will make changes for increased calls for service.
Published Dec. 1, 2009
The latest report from the Columbia Police Department Professional Standards Unit showed CPD officers used force in less than 0.5 percent of citizen contacts during the last quarter, a CPD news release stated.
The report concerns internal investigations for July, August and September of this year.
CPD spokeswoman Jessie Haden said the department is happy with the report and will only be making changes as a result of increased calls for service.
"Our calls for service have actually gone up all year long," Haden said. "So obviously that means we need to take a look at that and how we're staffing the streets so we have the most efficient response to calls we can."
Because the number of calls for service has been increasing all year, CPD will implement a new patrol schedule starting in January, Haden said.
During the third quarter, CPD officers were dispatched to almost 18,000 calls for service in Columbia and initiated an additional 23,503 calls. CPD officers made 1,425 arrests during the quarter, the news release stated.
According to the news release, officers completed Mandatory Review information for 63 instances, 49 involving the use of force.
Categories of Mandatory Reviews include a range of actions, such as firearm usage, pepper spray, Taser use and motor vehicle accident and pursuit, the news release stated.
If an officer uses a Taser in any capacity, even if there is no probe deployment, he or she completes a report, Haden said. This is because CPD categorizes a laser light display from the Taser as a use of force.
Haden said this categorization is for transparency and helps CPD know if Tasers are effective for preventing the officer from needing to use a higher level of force.
"The Tasers are the new tool and they've been controversial, so we want people to know as much as possible about them and how we're utilizing them," Haden said.
Because every use of force is reviewed individually, a single incident can result in multiple reviews, the news release stated.
Officer conduct was improper in two motor vehicle accidents and one pursuit, the news release stated. One internal investigation for "other" use of force is still pending. According to the news release, "other" use of force is defined as any use of force that results in injury to suspect or subject.
CPD also investigated 56 complaints from external sources, the news release stated. Some people filing the complaints were satisfied with an explanation offered by CPD or only wanted to make a supervisor aware of the incident, leaving 29 people who wanted to file formal complaints.
Of these, five incidents were found improper, two were unfounded, four were undetermined, three are pending and 15 were proper, the news release stated.
During the third quarter, CPD officers officially received 35 compliments from external sources and 29 generated internally, the news release stated. Five CPD officers received Commendable Performance Awards.
An Aug. 3 CPD news release stated two of these officers, Chad Craig and Matt Hibler received the Ribbon of Meritorious Service for administering CPR and saving a man's life while responding to an "Assist Fire Department" call.
Haden said the reports are a way for people to better understand CPD.
"My hope is that as time goes by, people are just more familiar with their police department in general," she said.