By Antonio R. Harvey | OBSERVER STAFF WRITER

The director of the Office of Public Safety and Accountability reported that complaints of misconduct within the Sacramento Police Department were down by a total of 117 in 2004 compared to 159 in 2003.

Don Casimere, who announced his resignation as director of OPSA a few days before to be closer to his family in the Bay Area, said the reduction of complaints speaks loud volumes for the community and the SPD.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” Casimere said at a recent Sacramento City Council meeting. “How do I credit that? I think from the top down the City Manager (Bob Thomas) has indicated that accountability is a critical concern in this city. And the Police Chief (Albert Najéa) and his command staff has taken that seriously and are taking steps to ensure that their officers are accountable for their actions.”

The Fifth annual Report covers the periods from Jan. 1, 2004 to Dec. 31, 2004. During that span, 23 force complaints were recorded compared to 45 in 2003. A total of 20 service complaints were filed in 2004 compared to 34 in 2003. The remaining 74 complaints in 2004 are listed in other categories.

Over the last five years, complaints in the Sacramento Police Department have declined tremendously. The complaints decreased by 20 percent between 2003 and 2004, including a substantial reduction in force complaints, which declined by 49 percent. Also in 2004 most citizens’ complaints were against officers with one to five years experience.

Betty Williams, president of the Sacramento chapter of the National Advancment Association of Colored People, told council members that in the first quarter of 2004 three complaints were filed in her office while 11 complaints were taken in the last quarter.

“Just like Casimere said, the numbers speak for themselves,” Williams said.

The OPSA, formerly called the Office of Police Accountability, was expanded to oversee the Sacramento Fire Department, though there is little statistical data in the report about complaints in the SFD.

"We do not have detailed analysis in this report regarding complaints in the fire department,” Casimere said. “We don’t have the numbers because we are still setting up the process. It is my hope that in the next annual report, when this report is presented, that information pertaining to complaints, profiles, and statistics regarding the fire department will be in this report.”

In 2000, a total 219 complaints were filed (65 force complaints), 187 (39 force) in 2001, and 174 (33 force) in 2002. Along with Mayor Heather Fargo, city councilmembers in attendance at the meeting – Ray Trethway, Sandy Sheedy, Robert Fong, Lauren Hammond, Kevin McCarty, Robbie Waters, and Bonnie Pannell – all commented on the OPSA’s ability to monitor activities in both safety departments.

“It’s really a good measure to where we are today in oppose to where we were in 1997 and 1998,” Hammond said. “(The OPSA) has put some trust between the community and those who protect us.”