Yesterday, the San Jose City Council got some good news in an annual report from our interim Independent Police Auditor: The total number of citizen complaints against San Jose police officers fell 5% between 2007 and 2008.
I have to admit, hearing that made me feel pretty good. But then I thought about a Mercury News story I read two weeks ago when the IPA report was first published. I didn’t remember seeing that 5% figure in the story, so I looked it up online and read it again.
Sure enough, the overall drop in complaints isn’t mentioned until the middle of the third paragraph, and even then it’s almost an afterthought. Based on the headline and the opening of the story, the paper was more interested in pointing out that “slightly more people complained that San Jose officers used unnecessary force or were rude to them in 2008.”
Maybe the Mercury News thinks a slight increase in a single category is bigger news than a 5% drop overall. I like to focus on the bigger picture, so let me borrow a line from Protect San Jose statistical guru Ed Rast:
Did you know that SJPD handled a record 436,855 calls for service in 2008 and only 467 (0.1%) of those resulted in a citizen complaint? Or that the number of complaints per 100,000 residents (47) has stayed pretty much level over the past few years even though our city’s population has grown by almost 50,000 people since 2005?
(By the way, I’m a little confused... The City Administration’s numbers say that 1.0% of calls for service resulted in a complaint. By my math, it’s about ten times less than that. I went ahead and included the Administration’s numbers, just so you know I’m not kidding around. Check out the chart at the bottom of page 2, run the numbers, and see what you get.)
I’ve said it before, cops work in the most scrutinized profession in America. We accept that and we welcome the scrutiny because we think we do a pretty good job. But I’d sure like to see the number of complaints against other City departments — that is, if statistics are available. Can any department do better than 0.1%?Who do I call in the City of San Jose’s Department in Charge of Decimal Points?
Bobby Lopez is President of the San Jose Police Officers' Association
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Bobby,
ReplyDeleteThe Merc can't help its self. If they report the truth then their profit margin and paper sales go down. It seems people only want to read negative things on blogs and in papers. They are big sellers. It is kind of sad to think that people get pleasure out of the troubles of others.
I'm glad you decided to start this blog. We need to hear your side of the issues published by the press. It seems on very popular blog was put out of commission by others who have a vendetta against allowing the public to hear both sides of the story. And here I thought I lived in America where freedom of speech is a constitutional right.
Stay safe~
I don't depend on the Merc for the facts. I watched the Council meeting and heard the report from the horse’s mouth. I noticed the interim IPA doesn't have much sense. The way she said they take and document complaints is kinda dumb. No wonder you guys get a bum rap. If they can’t even take a complaint right how do we know what they are sayin is even true? Where do they find these guys any way?
ReplyDeleteThis was once again a "Golden Chance" for the Mercury News. Business comes to safe cities. Business comes to professional public safety cities. The Mercury news should have embraced the Police and bragged about the professional officers San Jose has. This information sells. I do not believe what Kathleens says in her statement above. I think people are tired of nothing good stories. Nothing good stories are sending newspapers into the "PIT" of no return. Blogs like this will be the new news for the valley. We see quite a few ex employees from the Mercury News work for the city now. Even they saw the writing on the wall.
ReplyDeleteI remember a time when the Mercury news was a full, thick, and interesting paper. Now it is wafer thin and consists mostly of legal notices that precede foreclosures. I have cancelled my subscription numerous times only to be countered with a free subscription. I guess the paper needs to show its advertisers that it has an unknown number of papers in circulation. I was going to cancel anyways, but I use the paper to line my pets cages!
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