Complete Annual Report 2020 - English - Flipbook - Page 54
INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION
Planning and Accreditation Division
Internal Affairs
The goal of the Internal Affairs Division is to conduct timely and effective investigations into complaints or allegations of misconduct by department personnel and to conduct inspections of operations for compliance with policies and procedures. The effectiveness of a department’s Internal Affairs unit is critical to maintaining public trust
and confidence. Internal Affairs Division personnel are tasked with conducting complete and thorough investigations that examine the conduct of everyone involved in an incident. In 2020, the Hartford Police Department
received 73 citizen complaints, a decrease of approximately 18% compared to the 86 citizen complaints received in
2019. Of the 73 citizen complaints received in 2020, 21 were sustained or partially sustained, approximately 29%.
The Internal Affairs Division is currently staffed by one lieutenant, five sergeants, and one administrative assistant.
The City of Hartford has an independent oversight panel for the Police Department, the Civilian Police Review
Board (CPRB), which is separate and distinct from the Hartford Police Department. The CPRB conducts independent investigations into citizen complaints against members of the Hartford Police Department. In 2020, the
City enacted reforms to the CPRB to give it professional staff greater authority.
Table: Citizen Complaint Dispositions.
DISPOSITIONS
PLANNING AND ACCREDITATION DIVISION
2020 2019 2018 2017
- Total Complaints
- Sustained / Partially Sustained
86
74
73
62
21
19
15
5
The mission of the Hartford Police Department’s Planning and Accreditation
Division is to guide the Department toward State and CALEA (Commission
on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.) accreditation, maintain current and lawful policies and procedures, and focus divisional actions
and endeavors toward common Department goals. Additionally, the Planning and Accreditation Division assists in the development of the Department’s annual operating budget, vehicle fleet management, pursuit of competitive grant awards, and other special projects.
Leading up to, and upon the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Planning
and Accreditation Division worked with command staff to research and develop policies and procedures to guide Department operations. Under the
direction of the Chief, the Planning and Accreditation Division drafted and
distributed ten (10) special orders specifically pertaining to the Department’s COVID-19 response, covering
topics including continuity of operations, arrests during the pandemic, employee health screenings, use of
personal protective equipment, quarantine procedures and requirements, Field Training Program precautions,
and more.
During 2020, the Planning and Accreditation Division
revised and/or drafted and subsequently published
twelve (12) policies and procedures which included our
Use of Force, Body Worn Camera, and Responding to
Family Violence Offenses policies. Policies are updated
or revised as necessary, based on changes in legislation,
accreditation requirements, court decisions, or national best practices. Whenever possible, policies related
to attaining accreditation are prioritized. For transparency and to keep the community informed the Chief
implemented the forward-facing policy section to the
Department’s website. With this effort the Department’s current policies are displayed on the Hartford Police
Department website under the “About Us” section.
https://www.powerdms.com/public/HARTPD/tree
The Planning & Accreditation Division is staffed by one lieutenant and one sergeant.
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