OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS End of the Year Report 01/01/21-12/31/21
The Office of Professional Standards is tasked with providing the chief of police with an annual report that contains statistical, demographic, and comparison data originating from multiple sources within the agency. The information contained in this report is for the sole purpose of aiding the chief in decision making related to budgeting, tactical changes to workloads or assignments, or facilitate policy review and adjustment. In 2016, Chief Sparks ordered the report be made public each year to show transparency regarding the inner workings of the police department. It is published on social media, provided to the press, reviewed with the city manager, mayor, and city council as well as being a featured topic at a town hall meeting each year. INTERNAL AFFAIRS/PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS The Internal Affairs section of the Office of Professional Standards is tasked with conducting investigations into alleged misconduct on the part of our civilian and sworn personnel. These formal investigations are ordered directly by the chief of police, and any discipline issued as a result comes directly from his office. For more minor violations of our policy, the employee’s direct supervisor may investigate and dispense discipline. All disciplinary measures are recorded, become part of the employee’s personnel record, and are annually listed in this report. The Office of Professional Standards also monitors policy compliance and professional practice within the agency. O.P.S., therefore, records and correlates all complaint reporting, fleet accident review, policy and procedure creation/review, pursuit review, and use of force review. Please remember that Covid-19 impacted law enforcement like any other profession. The police department made changes to its response to calls for service, arrest procedures, court procedures, etc. to protect the public and the officers from exposure. Some of these “Covid policies” are still in effect, and they will be reflected in some of the statistics contained in this report.