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Capt. Zannelli: It’s easier to file complaints now, and get video evidence.
The Covid-19 pandemic led the police department to discover new ways to make it easy for people to file electronic complaints — while alders urged that people without computers not be forgotten.
That issue came up as top cops offered lawmakers updates on citizen complaints and body camera policy, during a remote workshop held by the Board of Alders Public Safety Committee.
As of last year, the New Haven Police Department (NHPD) began offering an online civilian complaint system for the public to make a police officer complaint. Forms for such complaints previously were available only in hardcopy at the police headquarters or police substations. (Click here to access the online complaint system.)
This year has seen a slight uptick in filed complaints, Capt. David Zannelli told the alders, due to the new system and accessibility of the complaint form. “Part of our general order is we never turn down a complaint,” he said.
The number of total complaints is updated each month based on the category of complaint.
Quinnipiac Meadows Alder Gerald Antunes, a retired police captain and chair of the Public Safety Committee, suggested the complaint forms also be offered in City Hall. Additionally, Hill Alder Kampton Singh suggested complaint forms be available at libraries for those who can’t access a computer.
Zannelli said the alders’ request would be taken up in the near future.
City of New Haven
Antunes asked at the workshop Tuesday night if the department tracks the number of complaints made against individual officers. “You get officer A who, he may be cleared all the time, but gets frequent complaints. Is that the type of thing that you follow through and say, ‘OK, we need to take this officer and get him into training to kind of hone his skills a little bit apparently?’” he asked.
Zannelli said the department does have a complaint log that tracks officers’ complaint reports throughout the year. Written warnings may be issued or the officer’s conduct may be reviewed by Internal Affairs. The department also will look into the officer’s personal stress levels, family issues, or need for discipline, if similar complaints continue in a time period.
The committee was also given an update from Zannelli and interim police chief Renee Dominguez about officers’ use of body cameras and what happens with footage from incidents. New Haven officers have worn body cameras since 2017.
“They’re objective. It’s not opinion or rhetoric. I’s just what happened,” Zannelli said of the footage.
Body cam footage has been used during civilian complaints to exonerate or prove an officer did complete misconduct, Zannelli said. Body cam footage is also reviewed by the department regularly to address issues without complaints and for training purposes, Dominguez said.
Officers are required to activate their body cameras “at the inception of an encounter with the public until the competition,” she said.
Use of force and arrest footage is kept indefinitely by the department, Zannelli said. Body camera footage is viewable for complainants at the department’s Internal Affairs office.
“By far and large the body cameras are showing that that officers are doing the right thing,” Zannelli added.
The committee recently voted to approve a proposal for the department to purchase new equipment, including body cameras, dashboard cameras and tasers, in compliance with the state’s Police Accountability Act.
The contract is for the department to spend more than $5 million with Axon Enterprises to update its equipment. Body cameras and tasers will be upgraded. Dash cameras will be installed to offer a different perspective for incidents beyond the body camera to supplement additional line of views during incidents Zannelli said.
Singh asked if automated technology will be invested in to avoid “a lapse in the footage.”
Dominguez said the department’s upgrades will have auto-response options. The department plans to develop a policy for configuring those settings for the new technology.
A feature called “single side arm” will allow body cams to activate when a firearm or taser is pulled. The plan is also to equip cars with sensors that will activate the dashboard cam and/or body camera when doors open or lights are turned on, Dominguez said.
“It does provide a lot of ease so that we’re not running into something where we know we should have had footage and we didn’t. We’re going to have it automatically,” Dominguez added.
Watch the full workshop below.
Now if we can only do this with the communications department.
Ever call 911 ?
So rude.
They hang up on you. (I mean, you get "disconnected")
(yeah after they say "Ya know what, your not giving me the information I need speech then CLICK !!)
Doesn't sound like a real emergency.
Are you sure it was a gun...did you see it ?
Well if no one is shot then its not a real emergency. (my favorite)
Doesn't sound like anyone is hurt yet.
We don't take these types of calls.
THESE ARE NOT TRAINED PROFESSIONALS, THEY ARE BULLIES !!!!!!!!
Never again.
I don't like being demeaned and spoken down to when I'm trying to report crime or injury.
I went from block watch to look the other way because there is no one to call.
The Police can't help you if you can't ask them,
then again maybe that's the whole point of why its setup like this. No one is accountable.
Be prepared to Protect yourself !!!