San Diego’s police watchdogs are now getting watched themselves, as the city auditor has opened a sweeping review of the Police Department’s Internal Affairs unit and how it handles officer misconduct complaints.
The audit, launched today by City Auditor Andy Hanau, will examine whether Internal Affairs is organized and run in accordance with professional best practices and whether its investigations are effective and equitable, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. The audit work plan states that staff will sample case files, study how complaints are categorized, rate the quality of interviews and evidence, and verify that findings are issued for every allegation. The office estimates that roughly 2,200 staff hours will be required for the project, with a final report expected next fall.
The move comes in the wake of a civilian oversight audit prepared for the city’s Commission on Police Practices by attorney Jerry Threet. The review examined 153 misconduct cases and flagged recurring problems, including investigators regularly accepting officers’ accounts without thorough analysis, often skipping interviews with complainants, dismissing credible allegations without clear explanation, and failing to meet internal deadlines, according to the Times of San Diego. Threet took a closer look at 20 selected cases and found that each one had shortcomings and was, in parts, less than fully objective, while offering roughly 60 recommendations for change.
What auditors will examine
The city auditor’s work plan outlines both high-level and case-by-case checks. Auditors will pull samples of Internal Affairs files to see if investigations are completed on time and contain all required elements, assess whether investigators are seeking interviews with complainants and witnesses, and review how evidence is gathered and analyzed, based on the auditor’s description of the review. The Internal Affairs project is one of 21 audits approved for the upcoming fiscal year and will combine statistical sampling with in-depth examinations of a subset of cases.
Police response and reforms
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl has informed city officials that the department accepts many of the oversight recommendations and is working to revise its policies. Those changes include limiting informal resolutions to complaints that are clearly less serious, requiring officers to use open-ended questions in interviews, and documenting attempts to contact complainants.
Wahl has pushed back on some other ideas, including allowing complainants to request a different supervising officer and requiring specialized training for investigators who work with people who have mental-health needs. Those refusals have sparked debate between the department and members of the Commission on Police Practices, as reported by the Times of San Diego.
Public input and next steps
Commissioners have urged the auditor to closely examine how Internal Affairs evaluates de-escalation efforts in use-of-force cases, including incidents involving police dogs, and to investigate how discrimination complaints progress through the system, according to materials from the Commission on Police Practices.
The Office of the City Auditor has invited residents to weigh in on the audit and lists [email protected] as a contact for audit suggestions and public submissions on its contact page.
When the findings are released next fall, city leaders and community watchdogs will have a fresh set of data to assess whether Internal Affairs investigations are meeting professional standards and whether additional policy or staffing changes are needed to enhance transparency and public trust.
