Third Place Government Beat Reporting, 2016
Originally Published Nov. 25, 2016
The following was part of a series of coverage on the Farmer City Council the was recognized in the Government Beat Reporting category.
FARMER CITY — The police department should open lines of communication with its citizenry, adhere more closely to its mission statement and limit spousal interaction on social media, according to a report from an independent auditor.
Chief John Carter of Monticello was commissioned by the city council earlier this year to complete an audit of the Farmer City Police Department. On Monday, his results were brought to the city council.
Carter said the process included about 100 interviews, including citizens, council members and other county elected officials.
The report included survey data that showed a low level of trust in the police department from members of the public. The public report can be read elsewhere on this website. An executive session report detailing specific incidences of misconduct is known only to the city council that was briefed in a closed session.
“(The public) response was that the police do not listen to the community. Juvenile problems throughout town and kids allowed to run free of consequence,” Carter said. “It appears as though the kids run the town.”
Carter said the public seems to think officers are afraid to pursue legal action against juveniles.
“Citizens feel like juveniles can get away with anything, because police are afraid to confront them,” Carter’s report said. “It is hard to feel safe when those protecting you appear to be afraid.”
The public scored the department at 42 percent in regards to its adherence to the department mission statement. The department got a 35 percent rating in service, 36 percent in responsiveness, 37 percent in integrity, 26 percent in safety, and 33 percent as a professional agency.
Carter said communication and community involvement was another area that was majorly lacking from the department. At city council meetings, the departments chief, Andrew Denno, is rarely present.
Of the department’s four full-time officers, only Officer Josh McClain — the newest hire at the department — was present at Monday’s meeting. Attending the meeting in plain clothes, McClain was rushed into duty, as a member of the public had a mid-meeting medical emergency.
The meeting was briefly waylaid as on-duty emergency responders were called to deal with the situation before normalcy returned.
When Carter got back to his presentation, he detailed reports of an officer allegedly loitering outside one of the Main Street bars in an apparent attempt at courting one of its employees.
“It was suggested that officers spend time flirting while on the job. One noted this occurred outside a bar after hours, while the officer was on duty,” Carter’s report said. “The officer waited in front of the bar and when the waitress came out after her shift, he stayed there for some time.”
An interview with DeWitt County Sheriff Jered Shofner revealed a lack of a good working relationship between the two departments, Carter said.
On top of that, Carter said there was a general fear from citizens wishing to levy complaints against the department, as complaints were required to be made in person and complainants reported they were “treated poorly during the process.”
Carter suggested the department: “Accept complaints about officers over the phone and by email, not just in person. Investigate the complaint fully or create a citizens review board to review complaints about officers and even use of force incidents.”
Facebook, Carter said, is not the proper place for those complaints — for the public or for officers’ spouses. And he stressed that although a neighborhood watch is helpful, the Facebook page dedicated to that purpose does not substitute for interaction with police.
At times, face-to-face interaction is strained, Carter said, stating he received several reports that responses to complaints depended on which officer took the call.
“I was told it depends what officer is working for what kind of service you receive. I was told one officer will arrive and cuss out the caller because he had to get out of his car,” Carter said. “Lack of follow up on cases, when reports are taken (meaning the victim is left in the dark on how the case is progressing).”
Carter said if police received calls at the end of a shift, the caller would sometimes have to wait up to eight hours before a proper response for their call was made.
“They may arrive and “respond” to a call for service, but they do not take accurate reports, if they do anything at all,” Carter said. “Citizens have been told they will have to wait until the next duty officer comes on shift.”
There were also questions raised about “double standards” for police officers that violate ordinances. He also said if animal ordinances are not followed, a contractual agreement should be made with DeWitt County to enforce them. Later in the meeting, Woliung said such an agreement is being sought.
Carter’s report did outline a few positives, noting citizens like the safety offered by a local department. Carter said Officer Dave Ballard helped locate a lost elderly man and Chief Andrew Denno addressed seniors on scams.
But suggested improvements outnumbered the positives five to one.
Of other suggested changes, Carter said the officers should limit time spent on the interstate overpass. He said interstate patrols are useful and necessary as they prevent contraband from entering town, but Farmer City appears to have a disproportionate amount of speeding tickets for a community of its size. He said of 15 interstate-related searches conducted by FCPD between 2011 and 2015, only eight produced contraband.
Carter said the department should pick a cause and promote it as community outreach, soliciting the community’s help. The department should go a step beyond just posting a brief activity summary on its site and start communicating on current issues, scams and safety tips, he added.
He said the department should keep better records of officer training, and should get more officers trained as juvenile officers.
Specifically, officers should: “Increase proactive patrols and investigate juvenile crimes, sending over referrals to juvenile probation,” and “Learn the requirements for taking juveniles into custody and having them held in a juvenile facility.”
Carter said there were other changes needed, such as computer software improvements and possibly the addition of another full-time officer to limit the department’s overtime, and he closed with a suggested improvement to report taking procedure.
“Reports need to contain facts and not opinions of the officer. Follow up to cases needs to be completed and requests from the States Attorney need prompt attention,” he said.
His final quote summed up the feelings of the community.
“Service, Justice and Fundamental Fairness is what the community of Farmer City is wanting from their police Department,” he said. “Many have even stated they would be fine with a higher police budget if the services rendered were greatly improved.”
After Carter read his open session report, the council adjourned to a closed session for more than an hour to hear complaints relayed to Carter about specific incidents and officers.
“The report is well received,” Mayor Mike Jenkins said at the end of the meeting. “The one thing I can assure you, is it will be a catalyst of change.”
Jenkins said he was slightly surprised by the findings, but said he still “loves our police department.”
“I’m excited to use this as an opportunity to get the police department to work for everybody,” he said after the meeting.
The mayor also requested the topic be on the table for another executive session during the council’s next meeting in December.