Police Department Data & Statistics

Annual Reports

2023 Petaluma Police Department Annual Report

2022 Petaluma Police Department Annual Report

Office of the Independent Police Auditor

Office of the Independent Police Auditor:  (707) 927-0727

Website:          https://www.petalumapoliceauditor.org/

Email:              [email protected]

The Independent Police Auditor (IPA) reviews Police Department personnel complaint investigations, takes personnel complaints about the Police Department from people who do not feel comfortable going directly to the Police Department, reviews Uses of Force and Vehicle Pursuits, and interacts with community members and organizations.

In April 2023, the City Council approved IntegrAssure as the Independent Police Auditor. The IPA has full access to the Police Department's internal investigations and tracks misconduct allegations from the start of a new case to the outcome and resolution phase. The IPA reviews unredacted police reports and body-worn camera videos related to each case and can consult with investigators, raise questions, and share its views about appropriate dispositions. The IPA also conducts audits of policies, practices, and records, conducts community outreach, and annually prepares and presents a report to the City Council.

2023 Independent Police Auditor’s Annual Report

2023 Independent Police Auditor’s Annual Report – Addendum

Use of Force Data

Personnel Complaints and Investigations

All Police Departments in the State of California are required by law to have a process by which a civilian may make a complaint against Petaluma Police Department personnel. This information will assist anyone who has occasion to make a complaint against any member of the Petaluma Police Department.

The Petaluma Police Department civilian complaint process is committed to providing quality service to the community and we welcome feedback, including critical comments about employee performance.  The Petaluma Police Department investigates complaints taken from community members, known as civilian complaints.  Personnel complaints received from community members are managed and investigated by Professional Standards through the Office of the Chief of Police.

There are four potential findings related to personnel investigations which are as follows:

  • Unfounded - When the investigation clearly established that allegation is not true.   Complaints that are determined to be frivolous will fall within the classification of unfounded (Penal Code § 832.8).
  • Exonerated - When the investigation clearly established that the actions of the personnel that formed the basis of the complaint are not in violation of law or agency policy.
  • Not sustained - When the investigation fails to disclose sufficient evidence to clearly prove or disprove the allegation in the complaint to fully exonerate the employee(s).
  • Sustained – When the investigation disclosed sufficient evidence to prove truth of allegation in the complaint by preponderance of evidence.

Once an investigation is complete, depending on the findings, the Deputy Police Chief takes the appropriate disciplinary action.  Investigations resulting in sustained findings can result in employee discipline ranging from written reprimands up to and including termination.

Consistent with the Task Force Report on 21st Century Policing, the Petaluma Police Department reports civilian complaints to the public.

chart for police department data and statistics civilian compliant, unfounded, exonerated, not sustained, sustained, pending

For more information on civilian complaints or commendations click here.

Arrest and Citation Demographics

Police Department Demographics

Racial & Identity Profiling Act (RIPA)

On July 1, 2021, the Petaluma Police Department began collecting and reporting all data on traffic stops and officer contacts as required by The Racial and Identity Profiling Act of 2015 or California Assembly Bill 953.  This implementation was voluntarily completed earlier than legislatively required as agencies, such as PPD, that employ less than 334 officers are not required to provide an annual stop data reports until April of 2023. This proactive effort has led to our agency to be identified as a Wave 4 Early Adopter agency by California Department of Justice (DOJ).  The Petaluma Police Department initiated the project through the Sonoma County Public Safety Consortium and DOJ in 2020.

The purpose of RIPA is to eliminate racial and identity profiling and improve diversity and racial and identity sensitivity in law enforcement. RIPA is also an important initiative in strengthening law enforcement and community relations through enhanced transparency and accountability.  RIPA mandates that all police-initiated contacts capture and report perceived demographic data, including race, gender, age, sexual orientation, language fluency, and disability, as well as the reason for all contacts, actions taken during the contact, and ultimately the result of the contact.

The California Department of Justice’s RIPA Board publishes an annual statewide report that will eventually include Petaluma’s data.

HATE CRIME DATA

According to California Assembly Bill 485, hate crimes reported to the Petaluma Police Department will be provided on the agency's website and updated monthly.

Please click the link below to access the hate crimes dashboard. This dashboard may be viewed via desktop or mobile phone.

https://maps.cityofpetaluma.net/portal/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/a29bc709a3264083b54ad18407cd77ec.

hate crime is a crime against a person, group, or property motivated by the victim's real or perceived protected social group. You may be the victim of a hate crime if you have been targeted because of your actual or perceived (1) disability, (2) gender, (3) nationality, (4) race or ethnicity, (5) religion, (6) sexual orientation, and (7) association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. Hate crimes are serious crimes that may result in imprisonment or jail time.

hate incident is an action or behavior motivated by hate but which, for one or more reasons, is not a crime. Examples of hate incidents include:

  • Name-calling
  • Insults
  • Displaying hate material on your own property.
  • Posting hate material that does not result in property damage.
  • Distribution of materials with hate messages in public places.

The U.S. Constitution allows hate speech as long as it does not interfere with the civil rights of others. While these acts are certainly hurtful, they do not rise to the level of criminal violations and thus may not be prosecuted. However, it is important to note that these incidents have a traumatic impact on the victims as well as on the community at large.

The Department of Justice designates the displayed hate crime categories. More information is available on the State of California Department of Justice website at https://oag.ca.gov/hatecrimes.

Additionally, anyone who does not want to contact law enforcement can report directly to the California Civil Rights Department through the California versus Hate portal. The goals of California versus Hate are to help individuals and communities targeted for hate, identify options for next steps after a hate incident, connect people targeted for hate with culturally competent resources, and improve hate incident and crime reporting data to enhance hate crime prevention and response.

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