HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 298-05Collection Process
During this quarter, the Department made significant modifications to its Records Management System
(RMS) in an effort to fully automate the process, streamline demographic data collection, standardize
the data through the creation of consistent categories and criteria that are measurable, and ensure the
data entered into the system can be retrieved at a later time and evaluated in a relational database. The
RMS now captures the following infonnation provided by officers on all related field contacts: race,
age, gender, location of stop, reason for the contact, action taken by the officer (disposition of stop), city
of residence for the individual contacted and whether or not a search of the individual was conducted. If
a search is conducted, the officer also notes the reason and outcome of the search.
The Department has one final phase remaining in automating the data collection process. This entails
extending the new fonnat to the officers in the field via computers whereby officers will have forced
choice responses that are entered directly into the database. Coordinating the selection of mobile data
computer hardware and the new mobile audio video equipment is important to ensure both systems have
functionality that will complement and support the other. The Department anticipates having full
automation of this process at the beginning of the new fiscal year, 2005-06.
Since the California Department of Motor Vehicles does not keep racial/ethnic infonnation about
licensed drivers, an officer must make a reasonable determination of the individual's race/ethnicity
during the contact in lieu of asking the person their race. The following race categories are being used
for data collection purposes:
White
African American I Black
Hispanic
Asian (Includes Other Asian, Chinese, Cambodian, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, and
Vietnamese)
Other (Includes Guamanian, American Indian, Mid-Eastern, Pacific Islander, Samoan, Hawaiian
and Unknown).
In this report, staff has begun to provide comparative analysis of the statistical data. Although the
Department has provided some initial benchmark comparative infonnation with outside law
enforcement agencies, staff intends to provide significantly more comparative analysis in future reports
as additional outside agency infonnation is received.
The Department did experience both tec1mical challenges and training issues with the change in
demographic data collection. As a result, officers did not provide demographic infonnation in five
percent ofthe related contacts (115 vehicle, pedestrian or bicycle stops). Although the Department will
attempt to capture all of this infonnation in the future, there could be an instance where data is lost or
compromised or the officer immediately clears their contact responding to another emergency call.
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for drugs due to his association with the known drug offender. No drugs were located. The
driver was issued a citation for the moving violation.
• A White male was stopped for a moving violation on Park at Olive. When the officer contacted
the subject, the sUbjected was suspected of drug use. The officers asked for consent to search
the subject for drugs. No drugs were located. No citation was issued.
• A White male was stopped for a moving violation on Oregon Expressway. During the stop the
officer learned the driver was known to sell narcotics. Consent was requested to search for
narcotics. No contraband was found. No citation was issued.
• A White male was stopped for a moving violation on Newell at Edgewood Drive. After
contacting the driver, the officer could smell a strong odor of marijuana from inside the vehicle.
The officer searched the vehicle for marijuana but could not locate a usable amount of
contraband. The driver was issued a citation for the original moving violation.
• A White male was stopped for a moving violation on a bicycle in the 100 block of Alma late at
night. The officer felt threatened by the subject's actions and conducted a pat search for
weapons to ensure his safety during the contact. No weapons were located and the subject was
released with a warning. '
• An African American was stopped for a mechanical violation outside Fry's Electronics. The
driver was not the registered owner ofthe vehicle, there appeared to be false registration tabs on
the vehicle license plate and there were several large pairs of scissors on the front seat of the
vehicle. Consent was requested to search the vehicle for additional registration information
evidence of shoplifting. No contraband was found and no citation was issued.
• An African American was stopped at University and Cowper Street for a mechal?ical violation.
When the officer contacted the subject, drug use was suspected and the officers asked for
consent to search the subject for drugs. No drugs or contraband were located and no citation
was issued.
• A Hispanic was stopped just off of University Avenue in East Palo Alto for a moving
violation. After contacting the driver, the officer detected the smell ofmarijuana coming from
inside the vehicle. The vehicle was searched for marijuana but no contraband was found. No
citation was issued.
• A Hispanic was stopped for an equipment violation on Embarcadero Road. After contacting
the driver, the officer could see a marijuana cigarette in plain view inside the vehicle. While
processing the marijuana cigarette, officers found it contained a usable amount of crushed
crack cocaine. The driver was arrested for possession of cocaine and marijuana.
• A Hispanic was stopped at University and Waverly for an equipment violation. After
contacting the driver, the officer could see an open container of alcohol inside the vehicle. The
officer searched the vehicle for additional alcohol and located marijuana. The drive was issued
a citation for the violations.
• An Asian was stopped for a mechanical violation on Georgia Avenue. After contacting the
driver, the officer suspected the 'subject of drug use seeing what they believed to be marijuana
residue in the vehicle. The officer searched the vehicle for marijuana but nothing was found.
No citation was issued.
CMR:298:0S Page 10 of 14
cameras for each patrol vehicle. During this quarter, staff extensively reviewed best practice policies
from other law enforcement agencies and prepared a bid specification and new policy. Staff has been
meeting the Palo Alto Police Officer Association (P APOA) representatives through meet and confer
sessions, and has sought input on the program from the HRC on the new draft policy. A comparison
analysis of Palo Alto's proposed mobile audio policy and the recommended draft policy developed by
the International Association of Chiefs of Police was prepared and presented to the HRC. The
Department will award the contract in early August, if Council approves. Following approval by City
Council, the Department will begin installation and testing. Full deployment is anticipated in
September 2005.
Training -The FTO program audit was completed by an independent professional and recommended
changes to the program are being finalized and implemented. The outcome ofthe audit will ensure the
FTO program is better able address the changing needs in basic police training and place additional
emphasis on problem solving and community relations. Along with changes in the FTO program, the
Continued Professional Training (CPT) training sessions every officer must attend annually has been
modified. An emphasis placed on communications skills, interacting with people and scenario-based
interactions focusing on verbalization and de-escalation skills. This new course curriculum began in
January 2005.
Stanford Project -Police command staff members participated in a Police-Community Relations
workshop on February 18, 2005. The workshop was hosted by a professor and social psychologist from
New York University and Stanford University. During the workshop, Palo Alto's command staff
members were paired up with Stanford students who had volunteered to participate in the session.
Teams were run through a series of exercises focusing on communication, enhancing an awareness of
each other's roles and the study of human interactions and how these interactions. create barriers and
influence relations. The workshop was very valuable. This model is currently being incorporated into
the Police Department's Citizen Academy program. The use of the model is also being discussed for use
between Police staff and community members.
Strategic Plan -The Police Department has begun efforts to develop its next five-year Strategic Plan.
Recently public focus sessions seeking input from various segments ofthe community were completed,
paying particular attention to meetings with the minority and spiritual community and the HRC.
Additionally, a survey was included on the Department's website in efforts to obtain general feedback
. by community members. Staff anticipates sharing the draft plan with the HRC in August.
Human Relations Commission Role
Ort February 7,2005, the City Council referred to the Human Relations Commission (HRC) assumption
of an expanded role with Police Department and the community-to enhance the relationship. On April
7, 2005, the City Manager and Police Chief, during a special session with the HRC, provided an
overview on what that role might entail, including:
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