Protocols
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 JUSTICE AND COURAGE PROJECT
PROTOCOLS COMMITTEE
November 12, 2003
Final Minutes
Place: Bay Area Legal Aid, 50 Fell Street, San Francisco
In Attendance
Barbara Brooten Job, Justice and Courage Oversight Panel
Barbara Kempster, Emergency Communications Department
Rosario Navarrette, Department on the Status of Women
Justine McGonagle, Department on the Status of Women
Ken Theisen, Bay Area Legal Aid
Susan Fahey, Sheriff's Department
Insp. Rachel Kilshaw, Police Department/DVRU
Oli Sadler, Telecommunications and Information Services
Mary Twomey, Institute on Aging
Sergio Calizo, Adult Probation Department
Introduction/Roll Call
Co-Chair Barbara Brooten Job called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m.
Approval of November 12, 2003, Agenda
Agenda for November 12, 2003, was approved.
Review of October 8, 2003, Minutes
Minutes for October 8, 2003, was approved.
Select Recorder for Next Meeting
Oli Sadler (DTIS) agreed to serve as the Committee's recorder at the December meeting.
Review of Justice and Courage Report Recommendations
Inspector Rachel Kilshaw gave the following responses to the recommendations for the Police Department as listed in the Justice and Courage Report. See attached list of recommendations.
1) SFPD-Domestic Violence Response Unit always asks the victim their relationship with the perpetrator. The Assignment Officer checks all DVRU reports for accuracy. The Office Policy states (not General Order) that the Assignment Officer has to perform an overview of the reports when first received at DVRU.
When a new report is taken by the DVRU, the investigator performs a query for any previous cases. If case open, the day before the trial, the accused is run once again for any cases since the last query.
Every investigative department queries for past cases involving the same suspect and/or same victim for the history so the inspector can present a closed case to the DA’s Office. The DA can decide to charge the past history case.
Physical elder abuse cases are handled in the DVRU. The DVRU handles cases involving a relationship with a caregiver, paid caregiver, family member caregiver, or any person living in the same household, found to be abusing the elder. Cases involving board and care/convalescent hospital are handled by the Attorney General’s Office for criminal investigation.
2) The Assignment Officer contacts victims on unassigned cases each day new reports are received. All phone calls are logged. Inspectors do make referrals. Victims also receive referral cards from police officer in the field.
3) There are different investigative department within the Police Department.
In the DVRU all felony rebookings are assigned. Serious non-arrests and all cases where victims come in to the DVRU are assigned for a possible arrest warrant. This is the DA’s decision.
4) Inspectors do the follow-up as reports are received. Victims are encouraged to come to make a report. Inspectors make referrals to victims and victims receive referral cards from police officer in the field. All phone calls made by inspectors are also logged.
5) Inspector Kilshaw passed out a handout of basic interview questions.
Inspectors do not use a designated interview question list. The interview is established in part by the situation and individuals being interviewed.
The committee discussed the idea of creating a “Suggested Guideline of Interview Questions” to ask victims. There was a discussion on the usefulness of lethality indicators.
Action: Mary Twomey will research lethality indicators for further discussion.
6) The DVRU does not utilize a vertical investigation model. The DRRU has found that vertical investigations contribute to burnout. The Unit maintains an unbiased approach to cases by using rotation. Investigators can pull past cases; photocopy the chron file and past reports to use as part of current investigations.
7) The DVRU is currently working with child crisis at UCSF. They are creating protocol to have an advocate provide intervention and advocacy to the child if needed. Lisa Wiseman-UCSF/Child Crisis contact person.
8) There are several languages spoken in San Francisco, but not all languages can be accommodated. There are Spanish and Cantonese speakers working within the unit. All other languages are handled through the Language Line.
9) Same as (8).
10) All inspectors assigned to the DVRU are working in the DVRU. The DVRU currently has 13 full-time investigators. The Justice and Courage Report recommends twenty inspectors.
11) There are semi-annual evaluation tools. Written, verbal, investigative and interpersonal skills are reviewed as part of the evaluation.
12) Currently there is one advocate working at night. The DVRU can also work with an advocate from the D.A.’s Family Violence Project. The Justice and Courage Report recommends five advocates at a minimum.
13) a,b) Four hours training addresses legal and social aspects.
c) Refer to Insp. McFadden.
(The issue of training is also being reviewed in the Resources Committee)
14) Insp. Flores or McFadden conducts regular department-wide trainings on stalking and EPOs.
15) The police department is reviewing data collection procedures in the Data Collection Committee.
a) Currently the number of domestic violence related calls received by 911 is being documented.
b,c,d,e) The DVRU is collecting data on:
b. domestic violence police reports
c. domestic violence related arrests
d. misdemeanor domestic violence charges
e. felony domestic violence charges
The DVRU is not collecting data on:
f. EPO’s requested. The committee discussed the courts collecting this data.
g. EPO’s granted. The committee discussed the courts collecting this data.
The DVRU is collecting data on:
h. domestic violence reports investigated by the DVRU
i. domestic violence cases presented to the DA’s office regardless of outcome.
16) There is a system in place to review police reports for accuracy and completion. The report goes from the field police officer to their sergeant. The sergeant reviews the report for compliance with general orders and then the report is referred to the lieutenant who reviews for the final time. After signatures in place, report is then forwarded to the Record Room and then the Record Room makes copies and sends a copy to the DVRU Inspector's Bureau. (The Record Room keeps the original.) If the Inspector finds any errors, she/he will call the sergeant or lieutenant at station where incident was reported.
17) Currently the Protocols committee is reviewing the protocols of the Police Department to ensure that violence against women cases are followed and cases are handled properly. However, there are no formal evaluation tools in place.
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Handouts given by Insp. Kilshaw---
H1) S.F.P.D. General Order 6.12 (07/27/94) Arrests of persons on parole or probation.
H2) Interview of victim. Informal compilation of interview questions
Insp. Kilshaw created to assist new inspectors coming into DVRU.
H3) Lethality Indicators. Guideline not put in every case. All inspectors have copy of this form. There is not a set amount of indicators which make a perpetrator lethal. Therefore, the lethality index is used as a guide.
There was a discussion on lethality indicators. Lethality indexes are a good tool for prosecutors and are also useful for battered women’s shelters to accept victims. Ken Theisen suggested that each inspector’s bureau could use the lethality indicators for bail enhancement. Mary Twomey stated that she will review past studies to find out more information on lethality indicators. Barbara Kempster stated that the lethality indicator could be used for documentation backup to apply for a computerized Premise Hazard flag.
Sergio Calizo from the Adult Probation discussed the following APD information. He stated that when a suspect has been booked and is taken back to court the case is then referred to the Adult Probation Department and there is a motion given to revoke probation.
Sergio Calizo stated that defendants go to a court hearing every three months. APD reviews hearing and if any new cases found, a copy will be sent to district attorney and the judge with a request to remand into custody. If there are any reports from the DVRU received by APD, the suspect is booked. At the present, the officer arrests on misdemeanor bench warrant, the perpetrator is taken into custody and then cited out at court.
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Insp. Kilshaw/Review of handout for recommendations to Justice and Courage oversight Committee.
Rachel Kilshaw will continue to work on recommendations from previous meeting.
All assignment officers shall query all named suspects in non-arrest cases for probation status and notify APD when named suspect is found to be on supervised probation.
Other Business
Plan for ECD update training being handled by Carol Bernard.
Premise Hazard computer flag implementation was passed by the Justice and Courage Oversight Committee.
This was Rachel Kilshaw's last meeting as representative for the DVRU. She has been transferred to another department.
Next Meeting
Wednesday, December 10, 2003. Bay Area Legal Aid, 50 Fell Street from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m.
