Denver CO, PD Citizen Complaints
| Submitted | July 29, 2017 |
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Communications
From: Alexander Cartwright
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act, I hereby request the following records:
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am an Economics Professor in the College of Business at Ferris State University, and I am engaged in an empirical research project on police behavior and citizen complaints. This project requires me to request data from your department. If you have questions about my request or suggestions, I would be happy to discuss them with you.
1. What is the total number of citizen complaints (allegations of misconduct) made against your department’s officers annually for the last 10 years? If your department logs complaints in a database, spreadsheet, or other log, a copy of those logs is fine instead.
Please include the type of complaint (i.e., use of force, abuse language, unwarranted search) and the result of complaint (i.e., sustained, exonerated).
2. What is the total number of complaints police officers made against their peer officers in department annually for the last 10 years? If your department logs complaints in a database, spreadsheet, or other log, a copy of those logs is fine instead.
Please include the type of complaint (i.e., use of force, abuse language, unwarranted search) and the result of complaint (i.e., sustained, exonerated).
3. What is the total number of calls for service your department received annually for the past 10 years? If your department logs calls for service in a database, spreadsheet, or other log, a copy of those logs is fine instead.
4. What is the annual number of officers involved in shootings in your department for the past 10 years? Any documentation or reports that detail the annual number of officer-involved shootings in your department for the past 10 years would be sufficient.
Please include documentation regarding how many of these officer-involved shootings involved disciplinary action. (Please list officer firearm discharge directed at a person separately from a shooting involving an animal and separately from accidental firearm discharges).
Please include the number of officer-involved shootings resulting in discipline.
5. Which of the above data are published publicly? Please provide a link to any and all publicly available reports containing the data above.
Collecting this information is very important to my research, so I would like to emphasize, if you have questions about my request or suggestions, I would be happy to discuss them with you.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 3 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Alexander Cartwright
From: Dulacki, Mary J. - MOS
Dear Professor Cartwright-
Please accept this response to your request from Saturday. If you have any questions concerning the responses below, please do not hesitate to contact me.
1. What is the total number of citizen complaints (allegations of misconduct) made against your department’s officers annually for the last 10 years? If your department logs complaints in a database, spreadsheet, or other log, a copy of those logs is fine instead. Please include the type of complaint (i.e., use of force, abuse language, unwarranted search) and the result of complaint (i.e., sustained, exonerated).
The Office of the Independent Monitor is a civilian agency with oversight over the Denver Police Department. Data responsive to this portion of your request is available on line in the OIM’s annual reports at https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/office-of-the-independent-monitor.htm.
2. What is the total number of complaints police officers made against their peer officers in department annually for the last 10 years? If your department logs complaints in a database, spreadsheet, or other log, a copy of those logs is fine instead. Please include the type of complaint (i.e., use of force, abuse language, unwarranted search) and the result of complaint (i.e., sustained, exonerated).
Data on the number of internal complaints may also be found in the OIM annual reports.
3. What is the total number of calls for service your department received annually for the past 10 years? If your department logs calls for service in a database, spreadsheet, or other log, a copy of those logs is fine instead
Police Calls for Service
Citizen Initiated
Officer Initiated
TOTAL DISPATCHED
2007
326,079
180,810
506,889
2008
324,600
170,256
494,856
2009
314,718
167,083
481,801
2010
319,558
146,054
465,612
2011
325,878
130,043
455,921
2012
336,135
176,432
512,567
2013
301,246
189,219
490,465
2014
297,970
216,429
514,399
2015
314,498
217,096
531,594
2016
317,038
282,923
599,961
4. What is the annual number of officers involved in shootings in your department for the past 10 years? Any documentation or reports that detail the annual number of officer-involved shootings in your department for the past 10 years would be sufficient.
Please include documentation regarding how many of these officer-involved shootings involved disciplinary action. (Please list officer firearm discharge directed at a person separately from a shooting involving an animal and separately from accidental firearm discharges).
Please include the number of officer-involved shootings resulting in discipline.
Data and details on the officer-involved shootings that occur within the City and County of Denver may be found in the Police Shooting Decision Letters posted on the Denver DA’s website under the “news and Info” link at http://www.denverda.org.
Please note that though a shooting decision letter is issued each time a peace officer shoots and wounds or kills a person in the City; not all of the shootings involve members of the Denver Police Department and you should open each letter to learn which agency was involved in the specific incident.
5. Which of the above data are published publicly? Please provide a link to any and all publicly available reports containing the data above.
Please see the websites above.
Mary Dulacki | Records Administrator
Department of Public Safety| City and County of Denver
p: 720.913.6262 | mary.dulacki@denvergov.org
[https://www.denvergov.org/content/dam/denvergov/Portals/534/images/DenverEmailSignature.jpg]
This e-mail and any attachments thereto are intended only for use by the addressee(s) named herein and may contain legally privileged or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail and any attachments thereto is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify me immediately at 720-913-6262 and permanently delete the original and destroy any copies or printouts. Thank you.
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