L.B. to Review Handling of Complaints About Police

In response to charges that it is difficult for a resident to file a complaint about police with police, a City Council committee will look at whether the city manager should supervise the investigation of such complaints.

But City Manager James Hankla already has final overseeing power over the Police Department, so how his role in the process would change is not yet clear.

“All my recommendations go to him anyway,” Police Chief Lawrence Binkley said this week. “If their intention is for him to investigate all the complaints, it’ll be difficult for him to do, but it would save me a lot of trouble.”

Binkley would not comment on his preference, saying, “I’ll do whatever the City Council and the city manager want me to do.”

On Tuesday, the council forwarded to its Public Safety Committee the recommendation that Hankla receive and supervise police investigations and final dispositions of residents’ complaints about police.

The recommendation was one of several forwarded to the council by the Public Safety Advisory Commission, which earlier this year unsuccessfully sought council approval of a police civilian review board.

The council-appointed commission also recommended that officials provide a spot other than the Police Department where residents can file a complaint with people who are not police officers.

The commission forwarded the recommendations in February after hearings brought out the same complaints heard years ago from residents and leaders of the local branch of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People. They have criticized the complaint procedure, including the fact that complaint forms could not be taken out of the police station.

One of the commission’s recommendation already has been implemented, Binkley said. As of February, the person filing a complaint receives a copy at the time of the filing, he said.

Another recommendation calls for police to send the complainant a written response of all action taken within 30 days of the complaint. Binkley said that as of earlier this year, the complainant is contacted within 30 days, but not in writing. Binkley said that would be too time-consuming and a report is rarely completed within 30 days.