It's been two months since Leah Maxwell and Lyndsay Rose filed a complaint against the Norman Police Department, and the roommates still haven't been told whether the issue has been resolved.

Maxwell and Rose, University College freshmen, are irritated but not surprised.

"I'm sure they're doing all they can to investigate ... mmm hmm, whatever," Maxwell said in an e-mail. Her frustration and cynicism are indicative of a widespread feeling of dissatisfaction with the Norman police among students and other Norman residents.

This week, The Daily will be examining the issues that are most frequently raised when the police are criticized. The first, which Maxwell and Rose have experienced during the last two months, concerns the police department's response to complaints.

Maxwell and Rose filed a complaint after a Feb. 12 incident in which police officers tried to force their way into the apartment where they and four other students were hanging out.

Officers came into the apartment with guns drawn, handcuffed the students at gunpoint and left them in handcuffs for about an hour while they were questioned, Maxwell and Rose said. According to the incident's police report, officers believed someone in the apartment was being hurt.

Maxwell and Rose said no one in the apartment was hurt or doing anything perceivably illegal from outside the residence. They said they believe the officers' use of guns and handcuffs constituted excessive force, so they filed a formal complaint requesting the department investigate the episode.

"Supposedly they research and investigate internally," Maxwell said. "But I've heard many lawyers in Norman say that they really don't do anything with it."

Maxwell said she and Rose don't expect anything to come of the complaint.

Assistant City Attorney Susan Rogers objects to the idea that complaints aren't taken seriously.

Special Series

Norman Police

o Today: filing complaints

o Thursday: excessive force

o Friday: students and Norman police

"I assure you that if there was a violation of policy, they do take some action against the officer, because they know the policy," Rogers said. Rogers is the city's legal adviser to the police department and has dealt with multiple complaints.

"We do a full investgiation. It's like any other detective investigation. They're taken very seriously," she said.

Norman police Lt. Leonard Judy also said that complaints are responded to with thorough investigations.

"Nothing is swept under the rug here," he said. "Policy requires that the investigation will be complete, thorough and objective."

Judy explained the investigative process, which gives citizens two options for filing complaints. If a citizen files an internal complaint, the only thing he or she is required to do is verbally give relevant information about the incident to the officer taking the complaint, Judy said.

The information is then forwarded to the division commander, who reviews it and decides what action, if any, needs to be taken. The citizen has no part in the process after the initial complaint and is not notified of the commander's decision, Judy said.

When a formal internal affairs complaint is filed, a citizen gives the officer detailed information about the incident. This information is then forwarded to the Chief of Police, who assigns an investigator to the case. The investigator is expected to interview the officer, the person who filed the complaint and any witnesses to the incident.

After the investigation, a report is presented to the Chief, who decides what, if any, disciplinary actions should be taken. The officer and the citizen are both notified in writing about the result.

Despite the formal investigative process, people still express concern that complaints are not heeded.

"I have seen very few citizens' complaints reviewed to the satisfaction of the citizen," said Norman attorney Joel Barr.

Rogers said people are unsatisfied with the complaint process because they don't see the results they want, but that doesn't mean there weren't results.

"What they really want in their mind is for the officer to be fired. But unless they commit a crime or a serious violation or there are multiple issues, that's not going to happen," Rogers said. "That's not appropriate in 99 percent of situations. But that doesn't mean nothing happens."

Judy said disciplinary action can involve verbal or written reprimands, probation, suspension or termination. He said the department uses "progressive discipline," in which repeated violations of a policy will lead to progressively severe consequences.
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