Minutes 09/10/1968 - Laserfiche WebLink

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With reference to problem 5, it is inconceivable that a nol~ce officer, who is liable for a false arrest suit, would consider making an arrest without probable cause. Tho oorsen arrested falsely could institute legal action against the arresting officer, and if found at fault, ~he p~lice officer could lose everything he owns or over hopes to own. The consequences are too great for an officer even to contemplate such action. As to the arrest without justifiable warrants, it should be po~h~ted out that the police have no control over the issuance of a warrant hy a Justice of the Peace. Once a warrant ~s secured by a person from a Justice of ~he<Peace, the nolice officer is charged by law with the deliberate and expedient execution of the warrant. Further, an officer making an arrest, in most instances, appears in court on his own time, without compensati~ and he may have to appear seven or eight times on the same case. The Portsmouth Police Department does not credit any officer with the number of arrests he makes, so there is really no incentive for an officer to make an illegal arrest. As to the police being the visible face of power structure, it must be assumed by this statement ~hat the power structure as mentioned, refers to the City government which has the power vested by the voting public to enact ordinances, levy taxes, zone property ~d~e perform other acts which contribute to the orderly growth of our community and the body that governs fl~e behavior of its citizens. If the fact that the police are in uniform, carry badges and enforce the law means that they are the Cate of power structure, then-it is a fact of long standing. ~tthout its enforcement officers, the power structure of all governments would crumble, and the results would be chaotic. The police come in contmct W~tt/~sbns bet~ black and w~te, w~o v~olate the law, need assistance or are addressed by members of the Police Department on safety or in the field gf public relations. The police are not the only contacts, as alleged, between the blacks and the City government. Statistical information shows that between January and June of 1968, there were 4,417 whites arrested against 4,204 Negroes. The month of July, 1968, shows there were 832 white people arrested compared to 762 Negroes. The City is certainly not lumping blacks together.as a group and the Police Department c~rtainly cannot be justifiably accused of encouraging illegal behavior. The Portsmouth Police Department has the responsi- bility for enforcing the laws and maintaining order in the City, and it will attempt to keep its finger on the~ pulse of the City in order to be prepared for a_ny lllefa! behavior by any ~roun. In response to problem number 6, it is very simple to allege something, but it is another thing to prove that the Portsmouth police show disrespect to an individual because of the color of his skin. Respect or disrespect is a result of one's personal conduct and not something based on th~ color of a person's skin. It appears to me that both ~roblems S and 6 are rather general statements and pertain to society as a whole, and should not be pointed at the Portsmouth Police Department alone. ~ith the above .problems, recomendations were submitted with the request that they be implemented with the first steps beginning within thirty (50) days, and the first steps in all phases within six monthsf I will report on these recommendations as follows: Recommendation A top to bottom '~lue ribbon" investigation of the entire Police Department. a. The employment of qualified consultan~ to conduct a comprehensive study of entire operation of Police Department, with recommendations dealing with .the strengths and weaknesses. For someiime, consideration has been given to the employment of a consulting firm to study all departments of the City government including the Police Department. I have held conferences with these consulting firms, and will have a report and recommendation for the City Council at a later date. Recommendation - 2. Development of program. Develop effective screening of all police recruits, who are to be properly trained in human relations including dynamics of ethnic change, 5istory of blacks, nature and forms of dis- crimination. Both the Portsmouth Police Department and the Fire Department operate under Civil Service. The screening of all applicants for these two departments is under the supervision of the Civil Service Commission which has sole authority [as to.how prospective members are screened for employment,) in this matter. b. In-service training for officers now employed, recruit and elevate more Negro policemen. Substantial in-service training is given all police officers after they have been appointed Dursuant to the Civil Service regulations. A new officer spends a minimum of eight weeks in intensive training in all ohases of police work. Instructors are dra~m from the professional and business fields as well as other law enforcement agencies such as tho F. ~. Io, and during 1967, 5,240 classrrom hours and 2,860 in-service training hours were spent training 52 recruits. Each year at the Central Police Training School in Richmond, a refresher course is offered, sponsored by the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and the Virginia Municipal League. This is a three weeks course and the Portsmouth Police Department has actively participated in th~s school each year. The officers from the Portsmouth Police Department have established an outstanding record for themselves. Old Dominion College is now offering a new program in law enforcement, leading to a degree of ~sociate of Arts. The City of Portsmouth Police Department.now has ten officers attending this school. In addition, one officer recently graduated from Old Dominion College with a Bachelor of Science degree. He ma$gred in Sociology and minored in Psychology. We further send officers to many short courses of a specialized nature during the year. Also, the curricula of the training courses for the Portsmouth Police Department are modified as the changing times dictate.