Police field fewer officer conduct complaints

Practice makes perfect, at least that’s what the Chapel Hill Police Department has learned.

The department saw fewer complaints from residents in 2013, and Lt. Josh Mecimore, spokesman for the Chapel Hill Police Department, says it’s all thanks to added training for the officers.

In the past three months, the Chapel Hill Police Department received six complaints about the conduct of its police officers, according to the Quarterly Report on Professional Standards.

Mecimore said he wasn’t surprised with the report. The number of investigations decreased from seven in the same period last year.

“We were pleased that we saw a reduction,” Mecimore said. “I don’t think there is a whole lot more room to reduce.”

There were a total of 25 investigations in 2013, down from 40 in 2012, according to previous reports.

One officer remains under investigation for a citizen complaint of excessive use of force.

Mecimore said the investigation is rare, but not unheard of.

He said all uses of force are reviewed to ensure the use of force was warranted.

He said this is the only investigation of excessive use of force this year. He said the officers should use the lowest amount of force necessary to gain control of the situation.

“Anything above what is considered reasonable would be considered an excessive use of force,” Mecimore said.

The department received three complaints of unsatisfactory job performance and two complaints regarding the officer’s demeanor.

Mecimore said the entire complaint process is in place to show citizens they have a voice in how the police operate.

“It’s important to the people we serve (to) feel comfortable bringing (complaints) to our attention,” Mecimore said.

Three of the six investigations resulted from negative citizen feedback.

There are two categories of negative citizen feedback: a complaint and a contact. A complaint is feedback that alleges a violation of a department policy, while a contact does not allege a violation.

The Office of Professional Standards or the employee’s direct supervisor investigates all complaints, according to the report.

The other three investigations resulted from allegations of unsatisfactory job performance.

One officer received a written reprimand from the department after an investigation into unsatisfactory job performance.

Mecimore said there is room to improve in specific populations.

The department now offers and requires more training for officers in working with at-risk populations, such as people with mental-health issues and addicts, he said.

“We want to help treat the cause and help so that we will not have to deal with them down the road,” Mecimore said.

“We want to treat the underlying problem, lower the rate of reoffending and not have to continually deal with those issues.”

Mecimore said the department will continue state-mandated trainings along with training sessions that are unique to Chapel Hill.

The department releases the report about every three months.

“I think it’s important because transparency in government is important,” Mecimore said. “Hopefully we are sending the message that we are doing what the public expects of us.”

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