NEWS > 08 September 2007

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San Jose Mercury News - CA, US
08 September 2007

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Oakland Police Department, CA

Report says police reform maki

The Oakland Police Department has made significant progress on mandated reforms, but needs to train its officers more about the use of violence, a panel of monitors reported this week.
"The Oakland Police Department has accomplished an extraordinary amount over the past several years,'' it said, "but has not yet fully implemented the (terms of the settlement) as required to ensure consistently effective and respectful policing."

Of particular concern to the monitors was officer training, which the team said is crucial to ensuring the long-term success of policy reforms.

Monitors challenged the department to respond more quickly to training needs identified by use-of-force and misconduct investigations.

The report was prepared by a team of monitors assigned to keep watch on the police department after the misconduct scandal involving a group of officers who called themselves the "Riders."

The scandal forced the city to reform the department and to pay $10.5 million to settle claims that officers beat and framed West Oakland residents.

Thursday's report was the team's 10th since the settlement was reached.

The report reflected the department's progress, said Police Capt. Paul Figueroa, the department's inspector general.

"The report was by and large positive," he said. "We've made significant strides in terms of compliance with the court order.''

Asked about police use of force, Figueroa said, "It's a very dynamic and fluid job and officers have to make decision in split seconds at times ... we do find areas where we can enhance training and we find areas where some refresher training could be good."
Figueroa said the department's progress was accelerated under Chief Wayne Tucker, who took over in 2005. The department then was in compliance with eight of 51 court-ordered reforms, Figueroa said.

Now, the department is in full or partial compliance with 31, he said. The monitors have yet to audit the department on 10 mandated reforms, he said.

Like Figueroa, attorney Jim Chanin, one of two attorneys who represented 119 plaintiffs in the Riders case, credited Tucker for quickening the reforms - though he said the department still had a ways to go.

Chanin said that federal Judge Thelton Henderson's decision earlier this year to extend the court's oversight of the department two years through January of 2010 was crucial to ensuring the success of the settlement.

In March, Henderson said the extension was needed because the department made "virtually no progress" during the first two years of the agreement.

The city, meanwhile, paid $3.57 million to the monitoring team for the first five years of its work.

The city and the monitors are haggling over how much the team will be paid for the final two years.

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Article sourced from

San Jose Mercury News - CA, US08 September 2007

Report says police reform maki

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San Jose Mercury News - CA, US
08 September 2007