SJPD auditor questions results of bias complaints.
Police auditor troubled that no complaints of prejudice were validated
SAN JOSE — As Independent Police Auditor LaDoris Cordell prepares to deliver her final report, she hopes the police department will address a fact that continues to trouble her.
In the entire history of the San Jose Police Department, there has never been a validated complaint of racial bias against an officer.
Over the past five years alone, the department’s Internal Affairs unit evaluated 192 complaints of racial bias, and none were deemed credible. San Jose is not unique in this regard. Los Angeles police evaluated 203 such complaints last year and reached the same conclusions.
“It’s not just a San Jose problem. And I want to make clear that all these people who have complained does not mean that every one of their complaints is legitimate,” Cordell said. “But the fact that not one of them is sustained is problematic.” Mayor Sam Liccardo said the fact that SJPD has never sustained a bias complaint “should raise concerns ” and said he hopes that Cordell’s presentation to the council Tuesday will mark the start of meaningful discussions.
“Two things can be equally true. The first is that relative to other big- city police departments, San Jose police officers maintain very high standards,” he said. “It can also be true we can do better to create a system of accountability, to ensure that the public has complete confidence around inevitably controversial issues like use of force and racial bias.”
Chief Larry Esquivel said he understands the perception issues but noted that bias complaints constitute just 6 percent of public complaints against officers. He also pointed to increased training being offered and developed for current officers and in the police academy.
“Investigating bias- based policing is difficult. Everyone is sub-