How the Police Chief handles complaints. Bill 12-521 requires the Police Chief to follow very specific procedures when the Office of Citizen Complaint Review forwards him or her a file on a particular case. But ultimately, accountability for the decision to discipline or not discipline rests with the Chief, and nothing should facilitate the Chief s hiding behind a detailed process not of his or her own making. It might be better if the law did not spell out the steps the Chief must follow. If one Chief wants to change those procedures, or a new Chief wants to handle matters in a different way, they should not have to wait for new legislation before implementing those changes.
Flexibility can help the new system succeed.
In short, it's a very good bill, and with a few small changes it will be even better. We would be glad to answer any questions you may have.