Los Angeles Police Department PDF - Biased Policing Complaint Mediation Program Expansion Notice September 9, 2015

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS BUREAU NOTICE 13.5 September 9, 2015 TO: All Department Personnel FROM: Commanding Officer, Professional Standards Bureau SUBJECT: EXPANSION OF THE BIASED POLICING COMPLAINT MEDIATION PROGRAM TO INCLUDE DISCOURTESY The Department's Biased Policing Complaint Mediation...

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS BUREAU NOTICE 13.5 September 9, 2015 TO: All Department Personnel FROM: Commanding Officer, Professional Standards Bureau SUBJECT: EXPANSION OF THE BIASED POLICING COMPLAINT MEDIATION PROGRAM TO INCLUDE DISCOURTESY The Department's Biased Policing Complaint Mediation Program has been expanded to include select complaints of Discourtesy. This expansion has been approved by the Board of Police Commissioners as well as our partners at the Los Angeles Police Protective League and the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office. Discourtesy Complaints Complaints of Discourtesy that are eligible for resolution through the Alternative Complaint Resolution(ACR)process, but were not resolved through ACR, are now eligible for the pilot mediation program. The ACR eligibility criteria are outlined in Department Manual Section 3/819, Alternative Complaint Resolution Process. Discourtesy complaints corresponding with these criteria will be referred to the Mediation Coordinator, Internal Affairs Group, and processed according to the provisions of the Biased Policing Complaint Mediation Program. Note: Department supervisors should continue to use the current ACR process to resolve eligible complaints in the field. This expansion of the mediation program is not intended to replace the existing ACR process. Rather, it is to provide the parties to these complaints another opportunity to resolve their complaints through facilitation. Biased Policing Complaints Complaints of Biased Policing will continue to be processed according to the Biased Policing Complaint Mediation Implementation Plan, which is available on the Professional Standards Bureau(PSB) webpage. Complaint Intake It is important that Department supervisors continue to follow established protocol for the intake of all types of personnel complaints as detailed under Investigative References on the PSB webpage. The quality of the preliminary investigation significantly impacts its outcome as the minutes and hours immediately following an incident are critical to gathering key evidence and locating witnesses. A complainant's desire to participate in an ACR or mediation does not preclude the necessity for a thorough intake investigation. The Department is now midway through the 36-month pilot program. To date, 44 Biased Policing complaints involving 65 employees have been resolved through mediation. All Department Personnel Page 2 13.5 Broadening the scope of the program will allow more employees and community members the opportunity for face-to-face dialogue to resolve conflict and further strengthen our relationships. Any questions regarding this Notice should be directed to Detective Kathy Haskins, Internal Affairs Group,(213)473-4396. APPROVED: ?Pi DEBRA J. McCARTHY,Deputy Chief Commanding Officer Professional Standards Bureau Distribution "D" SEAN W. MALINOWSKI,Commander Chief of Staff Office of the Chief of Police