Police Review Panel Now A Priority Complaints Have Mayor, Council Promising Slots Will Be Filled

For two years, a Spokane committee created to investigate complaints against the police department has lain dormant.

Now, in the wake of two recent accusations of police brutality, city officials are scrambling to fill the panel and explain why it has languished.

Some people, including the head of the Spokane Human Rights Commission, say it’s about time.

Twice last month, citizens complained they were mistreated by police.

Stanley Tinsley said officers unjustly attacked and arrested him while also arresting a suspected car prowler in east Spokane, injuring his shoulder in the process.

Gregory Rogers claimed he suffered a concussion and other injuries when he was subdued by police at Swackhammer’s, a north Spokane nightclub. Rogers’ arrest was filmed by a security camera at the club.

Police internal affairs investigators are looking into both claims.

Under city law, Tinsley and Rogers could take their complaints to the Citizens’ Review Commission if they are unhappy with the outcome of the internal affairs inquiry.

Problem is, there is no commission.

Mayor Jack Geraghty never appointed anyone after the panel was revamped two years ago to give it more power and more independence from the police department.

That may change soon. Geraghty said the commission could be up and running in as little as two weeks.

The mayor said this week he has picked five of the seven people who will fill the board. He didn’t identify them because they haven’t been notified of their appointment yet.

Geraghty said he hasn’t been stalling.

It’s been hard to find qualified candidates, he said. The seven-member commission is supposed to include four private citizens, one retired judge or magistrate, one member of the Spokane Police Guild and one police captain or lieutenant.

Until recently, there was a dearth of citizen applications, Geraghty said, and he had a hard time finding a retired judge who was interested.

In addition, there’s been no great outcry or push to fill the commission, the mayor said.

“Up to this point, we haven’t had a great demand for this,” he said. “There hasn’t been the pressure. But frankly, there has been now. That’s why I’m moving forward with it posthaste.”

Councilwoman Roberta Greene, who serves on the city’s Public Safety Committee, said her constituents have made “steady inquiries” about the board.

“It’s taken too long. I agree with that sentiment,” Greene said. “We will get this handled, sooner than later. That’s a promise.”

Councilman Jeff Colliton, another member of the Public Safety Committee, said appointing the board “is one of our priorities,” but he sounded dubious about its necessity.

“I don’t know how much business they’re going to get,” Colliton said. “I can remember only two or three allegations of excessive force or brutality in the past several years. These current ones won’t automatically go there, either.”

Complaints against Spokane police officers have declined for three straight years, according to department numbers. In 1994, 120 people filed complaints, accusing officers of using excessive force, being impolite or violating department policy. In 1995, the number dropped to about 100.

Last year, Spokane police made nearly 20,000 arrests and received 66 complaints involving 117 allegations, said Dick Cottam, department spokesman. A complaint can contain several allegations.

Police internal affairs investigators determined that 20 of the allegations involved actual officer misconduct.

Janet Stevenson, chairwoman of the Spokane Human Rights Commission, said the number of people who feel they’ve been mistreated by police is much higher.

Many residents don’t file formal complaints with the police department because they are afraid of retaliation or think nothing will be done, Stevenson said.

She said more people are likely to come forward when the commission is up and running.

“It depends on the amount of trust that is gained by the people. And that depends on the results the commission gets,” Stevenson said.

Regardless of the number of complaints, civilian oversight of internal investigations is necessary, said officials in cities that have such commissions.

Terrence Carroll is a former judge who has overseen internal affairs investigations for the Seattle Police Department since 1993.

“I am convinced that if the public believes that a fair system is in place to discipline … and assist officers who step out of line, the police will have greater credibility and will find a more cooperative society to work in,” Carroll wrote in a report to the Seattle City Council.

Experts say the recipe for an effective police review panel is simple: The panel must be independent of the police department, have access to as much information as possible and operate in an open forum.

In Berkeley, Calif., a citizens panel has investigated complaints against police for 25 years.

All proceedings and records of that city’s Police Review Commission are available to the public, said commission officer Dan Smith.

“Over in (police) internal affairs, no matter how good their investigation is, it’s still a closed process,” said Smith, a civilian. “Ours is an open process. That builds trust.”

Smith and the Berkeley commission members have access to all police reports, medical reports and witnesses involved in the incident, including accused officers.

Spokane’s ordinance calls for police to provide information requested by the commission as long as the state’s privacy laws are not violated.

“It’s very important that the police chief or the city manager set a policy for the officers: ‘You have to participate,”’ Smith said. “Otherwise, it will never work.”

Spokane Police Chief Terry Mangan was out of town and unavailable for comment this week.

Deputy Chief Larry Hersom said the department, which helped design the new commission, is willing to work with the panel.

“We’ll cooperate and follow the spirit and intent of the resolution,” Hersom said.

, DataTimes