| News Release for Immediate Release
January 8, 2007
Police Complaints Board and Office of Police Complaints Issue Fiscal Year 2006 Annual Report (cont.)
Despite the success of fiscal year 2006, the agency has many challenges that lie ahead. In particular, the report notes that OPC will be pursuing the issue of ensuring that all MPD employees cooperate fully with OPC’s investigation, adjudication, or mediation of complaints, which is required by District law.
While the Department and most MPD employees have cooperated with the agency, OPC reported more than 51 instances of non-cooperation to MPD in 2006, and the Department did not take disciplinary action in 92% of the cases that had been reviewed by MPD. These failures to cooperate arose in serious matters reported to OPC alleging unnecessary or excessive use of force, harassment, discrimination, and other possible police misconduct.
The number of instances of non-cooperation has risen dramatically over the past few years, and MPD’s failure to take disciplinary action has had significant negative consequences for the District’s police accountability system. The agency has recently written to MPD about this issue, and is awaiting a written response.
“We are glad to report that the agency had a very good year,” said Philip K. Eure, OPC’s executive director. “We have important work to be done in the year ahead, but our success in completing investigations and reducing our number of open complaints will allow us to handle new complaints, develop proposals for police reform, and do our part to improve policing and ensure greater confidence by the public in the District’s police force.”
To see a copy of the report, select the link below:
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