CBS4
DENVER — Denver’s independent monitor has found that the Denver Sheriff’s Department has routinely failed to investigate “serious allegations” from inmates related to their jailers using inappropriate force, sexual misconduct and racial or ethnic slurs.
In a semiannual report released Tuesday morning the Independent Monitor’s Office analyzed 2 1/2 years of data from the Denver Sheriff’s Department and concluded 45 complaints of serious misconduct, including allegations of inappropriate force, non- consensual sexual touching and biased behavior by deputies did not result in internal affairs cases.
“This deviates from both DSD policy and national standards on law enforcement accountability,” according to the report.
Nicholas Mitchell, Denver’s independent monitor, is tasked with overseeing the Denver police and sheriff department’s disciplinary process. The monitor is supposed to oversee investigations into complaints and critical incidents involving sworn officers and deputies.
The monitor’s report also noted that the sheriff’s department has not been notifying the monitor’s office of allegations of officer misconduct as required.
According to the report, Director of Corrections Gary Wilson “has indicated that he plans to make changes to the grievance process in response to certain recommendations in this report.”
The report notes that only 6 percent of the serious grievances filed by inmates between Jan. 1, 2011 to June 30, 2013 triggered Internal Affairs Bureau cases. According to the lengthy report, the sheriff’s department now plans to open internal affairs investigations into 47 grievances.
“To be clear … we are not suggesting that the allegations made by inmates in these grievances are true,” the report says.
The report goes on to say that the grievances should have been officially investigated and shared with the Independent Monitor’s Office.
Full story: Independent monitor finds inmate greviances not being investigated