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Police Operations and Data Analysis Report, Morgan Hill, California
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of-force management. Professional standards units uphold employment and performance
standards that ensure individual agencies continue to be staffed by the highest caliber of personnel
in the law enforcement profession.
CPSM recommends the creation of a Professional Standards Unit within the Morgan Hill Police
Department, and further recommends that it be directed by a sergeant. The rank of sergeant
provides the appropriate supervisory authority to the individual assigned to this important unit
and demonstrates the commitment of MHPD management to these essential functions.
Establishing a Professional Standards Unit will enable management to address many important
areas noted in this report, such as administrative investigation objectivity, consistent review and
tracking of investigation and complaint documentation and data, the development of policies
reflecting department practice, the implementation of personnel performance tracking and
associated management reports. The unit can also relieve a department manager of employment
hiring and processing, allowing better focus on personnel management duties. CPSM understands
the budgetary and staffing limitations faced by MHPD, but creating this unit and identifying the
recommended member for this role is critical.
Recommendation:
CPSM recommends creation of a Professional Standards Unit under the direction of a
Sergeant. The duties and responsibilities of the unit should include internal affairs, training
coordinator, employment services/personnel, policy development, and force review at a
minimum.
Internal Affairs
Public trust is vital to the law enforcement mission, and this trust rests on departmental
responsiveness to community needs and expectations. To foster public confidence and to promote
constructive communication, commendations and complaints must be received with equal
professional interest and courtesy, and both must be given appropriate supervisory and
management attention.
The Morgan Hill Police Department (MHPD) protocol for reporting and investigating public
complaints and employee misconduct is established in MHPD policy 1020, “Personnel Complaint
Procedure.” MHPD policy 340, “Conduct,” supplements policy 1020 by providing additional detail to
the investigative process. It also outlines conduct expectations for MHPD personnel and the
administrative processes for imposing employee discipline. The MHPD complaint form is
maintained for public access in the police station lobby. An online complaint form is available
through a link that can be found on the police department website. CPSM staff reviewed the policies
and found them to be comprehensive.
The written policy identifies a personnel complaint as any allegation of misconduct or improper job
performance against any department employee that, if true, would constitute a violation of
department policy or federal, state or local law. Policy directs that complaints be classified into one