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2023 Professional Standards ReportPORT ORCHARD POLICE DEPARTMENT I � J?OLIC woul �e '•1 PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS REPORT 2023 SERVICE - HONOR - INTEGRITY Law Enforcement Code of Ethics As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve the community; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the constitutional rights of all to liberty, equality, and justice. I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all and will behave in a manner that does not bring discredit to me or to my agency. I will maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self-restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed both in my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the law and the regulations of my department. Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty. I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, political beliefs, aspirations, animosities, or friendships to influence my decisions. With no compromise for crime and with relentless prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately without fear or favor, malice, or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or violence and never accepting gratuities. I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith, and I accept it as a public trust to be held so long as I am true to the ethics of police service. I will never engage in acts of corruption or bribery, nor will I condone such acts by other police officers. I will cooperate with all legally authorized agencies and their representatives in the pursuit of justice. I know that I alone am responsible for my own standard of professional performance and will take every reasonable opportunity to enhance and improve my level of knowledge and competence. I will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself to my chosen profession... law enforcement. 1 Service — Honor — Integrity Port Orchard Police Department Mission & Vision Statement Mission The Mission of the Port Orchard Police Department is to protect the lives, property, and rights of all members of our community. We will work to reduce crime, and the fear of crime, while remaining proactive and innovative in our approach to the enforcement of the law. Our community shall know we are all members of one team through our transparency, accountability, and engagement. Vision The Port Orchard Police Department aims to be amongst the finest law enforcement agencies in the State of Washington; one which constantly delivers the highest quality public service to make the City of Port Orchard one of the safest communities in the nation. Organizational Values Service Serving the Port Orchard community is our greatest honor and privilege. We will do so in an impartial, courteous, responsive, efficient, and humble manner. We will work hand in hand with all members of our community to solve problems that affect public safety. Honor We hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of our profession while valuing equality, diversity, and individual rights. Our badge is a symbol of public faith; we accept it as a public trust so long as we are true to the ethics of our service. Integrity Integrity is our standard for we shall always do what is morally, ethically, and legally right. We are honest and truthful in our words and actions. Our integrity will build trust and confidence, for this is our defense against corruption. QOLICF CITYOF PORT ORCHARD 1890 2 Service — Honor — Integrity A MESSAGE FROM MATT BROWN CHIEF OF POLICE To Our Community, I am proud to offer the 2023 Professional Standards Review. We do this assessment annually in key critical areas to ensure our responses meet policy, legal and ethical standards, and best practices within our profession. By examining the entire body of work, instead of focusing only on singular incidents, we are provided a higher -level view of what we do. This helps to determine any patterns, gaps in training, or other areas in which we may improve. The Port Orchard Police Department has strong operational values of Service, Honor, and Integrity. To fulfill our mission and our vision, we integrate these into everything we do. Our mission holds that we demonstrate transparency, accountability, and engagement with all members of our community. Our vision demands we deliver high -quality public service and remain amongst the finest law enforcement agencies in the state. This Professional Standards Report is part of how we do so. The staff of this agency hold themselves to a high standard and recognize our community does as well. I am proud they are responsible for the ethics of our profession and the values we hold true. I look forward to your feedback on our work. Our team is part of the community, and our community is part of our team. Respectfully, Matt Brown Chief of Police 3 Service — Honor — Integrity PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS REPORT METHODOLOGY Police officers perform a vital public service by preserving the peace, protecting life and property, preventing crime, apprehending criminals, and enforcing laws and ordinances. The way we perform our duties is essential to developing trust with those we serve. To ensure we are fulfilling the mission, vision, and values of our department, and remain true to the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, the Port Orchard Police Department conducts investigations into the following occurrences: • Uses of Force • Citizen Complaints • Pursuits • Officer Involved Collisions • Property Damage • Employee Injuries & Exposures • Any other incident that rises to the level of documentation as directed by the Chief of Police Many of these investigations are conducted by a Sergeant or the Deputy Chief who reviews all documentation related to the call, all digital evidence including body -worn camera footage, and conducts interviews with witnesses and citizens. This review provides the investigating supervisor with enough information to recommend whether the actions of the employees were within policy or need additional investigation. Each review is sent through the chain of command for a final review by the Chief of Police. The Chief makes a final determination if an action is within policy or requires additional investigation. If a preliminary review is determined to need additional investigation, the department may initiate an administrative investigation when a significant policy violation has allegedly occurred. These investigations are normally initiated by a command staff member or an independent outside investigator. Outside investigators are normally requested on significant cases such as major injuries or death, gross misconduct, or if there is a perceived internal conflict. In 2023, there was one Administrative Investigation completed for an alleged policy violation. All preliminary and administrative investigations are stored in a cloud -based system to ensure they are securely retained as prescribed by the Revised Code of Washington. Every case investigated during the calendar year is summarized in this Professional Standards report. This report serves two purposes. First, it demonstrates our commitment to providing department transparency to the Port Orchard community and beyond. Secondly, our analysis of these events leads to identifying potential training needs for our employees. In addition to these investigations, we also review traffic statistics to evaluate that our enforcement efforts are not showing a bias toward any specific group. To do this, we retrieve 4 Service — Honor — Integrity statistics from our traffic enforcement and compare them to the demographics of our city as provided by census information. Finally, this report analyzes our annual training to ensure we are training our officers appropriately and with a focus on the most critical areas. If you have any questions after reviewing this document, please do not hesitate to contact our department. We would be happy to answer any concerns you may have. 5 Service — Honor — Integrity The Port Orchard Police Department is committed to training our employees far beyond what is required by state mandate. The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission requires that every commissioned officer receive a minimum of twenty-four hours of training each calendar year. The Port Orchard Police Department purposefully exceeds that requirement. In 2023, we averaged 129 hours of training hours for each police officer, which was a 9% increase over 2022. With our current patrol schedule, our patrol officers work a schedule that allows for one 10-hour training day at least six times each year. Not only does this give our employees the ability to train together, but it is cost-effective as it does not incur as much additional overtime. In addition to formal training, our supervisors consistently conduct informal debriefings after critical situations occur. During these debriefs, supervisors and officers have an opportunity to discuss what went well and identify areas of improvement. They are an opportunity for supervisors to set expectations, effectively communicate, and reaffirm policy and best practices. Furthermore, it demonstrates their commitment to employee improvement and department success. As part of this Professional Standards Report, we wanted to highlight the training topics that apply to the areas reviewed in this report. In 2023, the Port Orchard Police Department employees were required to complete the following training topics: • Patrol Tactics • Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement • Anti -Bias for Law Enforcement • Hate Crimes Training • Sleep and your Health • De-escalation and Minimizing Force • Sexual Harassment in the Workplace • Implicit Bias Awareness • Racial Profiling • Crisis Intervention • Defensive Tactics • Emergency Vehicle Operations • Defensive Driving • Daily Training Bulletins (based upon department policy and provided monthly) In 2024, we plan to maintain our emphasis on training and employee development. We believe our training efforts have shown results as demonstrated in this report and other aspects of our employees' work performance. 6 Service — Honor — Integrity The use of force by law enforcement personnel is a matter of critical concern, both to the public and to the law enforcement community. Officers are involved daily in numerous and varied interactions and, when warranted, may use force that is reasonable and necessary to perform a legitimate law enforcement duty. Officers must understand and have a true appreciation for their authority and limitations. This is especially true concerning overcoming resistance while engaged in the performance of law enforcement duties. It is the fundamental duty of law enforcement to preserve and protect all human life (RCW 10.120.010). Officers shall respect and uphold the dignity of all persons and use their authority in a bias -free manner. Vesting officers with the authority to use reasonable and necessary force, and to protect the public welfare requires monitoring, evaluation, and a careful balancing of all interests. In addition to investigating all uses of force, the Port Orchard Police Department tracks and reviews displays of force. This would include any time a force tool, such as a Taser or firearm, is pointed at a subject. This documentation provides us with information as oversight on how these tools are being implemented by our employees, and if by displaying these tools, compliance is gained. The following are summaries of the use of force and display of force incidents that occurred in 2023: USE OF FORCE INCIDENTS INCIDENT #1— Physical Control 01/05/2023 2023UOF-01 This incident occurred during a hit-and-run investigation. The officer was arresting the suspect who was attempting to flee. The officer and sergeant on the scene forced the suspect to the ground and were ultimately able to place him in handcuffs. There were no injuries because of this use of force. Injuries: None Disposition: Within Policy INCIDENT #2 — Physical Control 01/24/2023 2023UOF-02 Officers were on the scene to assist South Kitsap Fire and Rescue with an extremely intoxicated female who was lying in the parking lot of a local bar. While the fire was attempting to render aid, the female lunged violently at the firefighters. An officer and a sergeant on the scene used control holds on the female to prevent her from injuring herself or the firefighters who were rendering aid. Injuries: None Disposition: Within Policy INCIDENT #3 — Physical Control 03/19/2023 2023UOF-03 An officer and sergeant contacted a subject during a hit-and-run vehicle collision. After establishing probable cause for arrest, the sergeant and officer attempted to handcuff the suspect who resisted and would not comply with handcuffing. Both the sergeant and officer used control holds and physical control to force the suspect onto the ground where he was handcuffed without further incident. Injuries: None Disposition: Within Policy 7 Service — Honor — Integrity INCIDENT #4 — Physical Control 04/21/2023 2023UOF-04 Officers had located a suspect asleep in a stolen car. They contacted the suspect and asked him to exit the car. As they attempted to handcuff him, the suspect attempted to flee on foot. The three officers on the scene used control holds on the suspect to force him to the ground. He was taken into custody without further incident. Injuries: None Disposition: Within Policy INCIDENT #5 — Physical Control & Taser 05/26/2023 2023UOF-05 Three officers contacted a habitual retail trespassing subject. As the officers attempted to take the suspect into custody, he began to physically resist. During the struggle, the suspect "head -butted" one of the officers causing a minor injury to their face. Officers decided that a Taser deployment would assist in defeating the suspect's resistance. An officer used a drive -stun technique, which resulted in compliance from the suspect. He was taken into custody without further incident. Injuries: Officer: Contusion to face and scratches on arm Disposition: Within Policy Suspect: None INCIDENT #6 — Phys. Control/Taser Display 04/06/2023 2023UOF-06 Two officers contacted a female suspect who had been reported to be shoplifting from a local store. Officers attempted to arrest her when she began to actively resist. In the process, the female struck an officer in the face with her elbow. Officers used their body weight to force the suspect to the ground. The suspect continued to resist until the officers threatened to deploy a Taser. Injuries: Officer: Cut on the lip Disposition: Within Policy Suspect: None ***DELETED INCIDENT 2023UOF-07 This incident was documented, reviewed, and then deleted as it did not rise to the level of a use of force by our employee. In this case, our officer assisted another law enforcement agency. That agency had applied force. Our employee merely used his body weight on the suspect while the officers from the other agency applied handcuffs. INCIDENT #7 - Physical Control 12/15/2023 2023UOF-08 Officers contacted a subject who had been seen sitting in a vehicle that did not belong to him. When officers were attempting to speak with the suspect, he fled on foot. The officers were quickly able to grab the suspect, and by using control holds, forced him to the ground where they were able to arrest him without further incident. Injuries: None Disposition: Within Policy INCIDENT #8 — Physical Control & Taser 10/07/2023 2023UOF-09 Our officers were assisting another law enforcement agency that was attempting to arrest a subject for violation of a court order. The subject, who was sitting in the driver's seat of a truck, attempted to start the truck and flee the scene. The outside agency officers requested a Taser to be deployed to prevent the suspect from fleeing the scene. Our officer used a drive stun technique to gain compliance from the suspect. The Taser proved to be effective, and the suspect was removed from the truck and taken into custody without further incident. Injuries: None caused by POPD Officers Disposition: Within Policy 0 Service — Honor — Integrity ANIMAL DISCHARGE Incident #1 - Firearm 09-17-2023 AD23-001 Officers responded to a collision involving a vehicle and a deer. None of the occupants in the vehicle were injured; however, the deer was badly injured. Without any resources to assist the deer, the officers on the scene decided to euthanize the deer to end its suffering. This incident was documented, reviewed, and found to be within policy. The charts below provide you with an overview of all the use of force incidents that occurred during 2023. Type of Force used by the officer(s) Physical controls 8 Taser - Deployed 2 Taser: Display Only 1 OC / Chemical 0 Impact / Baton 0 Baton 0 Firearm - Display only 0 Firearm 0 Empty hand 0 Impact Munition 0 Other (K-9) 0 Leg Restraints 0 Injured Animal Discharge - Firearm 1 TOTAL 12* *In one case two types of force (physical control/Taser) were used in one incident Use of Force -Aggravating Factors* Assaulting Officer(s) 2 Combative Subject I 1 Crime in Progress I Resisting Arrest I 3 Preventing Escape 2 Behavioral Health 0 *Some cases involved more than one aggravating factor Service — Honor — Integrity Use of Force by Race of Subject White 8 Black 0 Asian 0 Native American 0 Hispanic 0 Unknown 0 Use of Force by Age of Subject Under 20 0 20 to 29 3 30 to 39* 3 40 to 49 1 50 and Up 1 *Average age of suspect 33 Use of Force by Gender of Subject Male 6 Female 2 Use of Force Injuries Treatment No Injury Minor Injury or Complaint of Pain On - scene Aid Hospital Officer 0 6 2 0 0 Suspect A 6 2 1 0 Notes / Trends ➢ Total incidents where officers used force: 9 ➢ Total incidents where officers displayed force: ➢ Total calls for service received: 15,152 ➢ % of incidents where force was used: 0.06% Note: Injury statistics do not include those cases where the only "injury" was probe penetration from the use of the Taser. Medical assistance shall be obtained for any person who exhibits signs of physical distress, has sustained visible injury, expresses a complaint of injury or continuing pain, or was rendered unconscious. The suspect may be transported to the hospital out of an abundance of caution, not necessarily due to an injury. 10 Service — Honor — Integrity Review and Analysis of Use of Force Events — 2023 In 2023, the Port Orchard Police Department received 15,152 calls for service (approximately 41 calls per day), which is a modest decrease from 2022. Additionally, officers made 276 arrests in 2023. Officers reported using force on nine calls and displayed force (Taser or firearm) during one of those incidents, which means officers used force on less than .06% of the calls for service. Similar to 2022, officers used physical control (takedown, arm -bar, etc.) in most incidents to either control or gain compliance from a subject who was actively resisting arrest. In two of the eight incidents, a Taser was used against physically resisting subjects. It is important to note, only one Taser cycle was used in each incident. In both of those cases, the Taser proved to be effective. None of the uses of force resulted in any significant injury to the citizen/arrestee, or officers. This includes requesting paramedics to respond to the scene. In two of the incidents, officers received minor injuries from physically resisting suspects. For the past three years, our officers have been attending training in which de-escalation is emphasized, along with instructing officers to use space, time, distance, and shielding/barriers, when possible, to help de-escalate a potentially violent situation and increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome with minimal force being used. It is evident this training is effective as we have seen low percentages in uses of force, and more importantly, our officers are using a reasonable and minimal amount of force to effect the arrest of physically resisting suspects. 11 Service — Honor — Integrity The Port Orchard Police Department prohibits race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation, economic status, age, cultural group, disability, or affiliations with any other similar identifiable group from being used as the basis for providing different levels of law enforcement services or the enforcement of the law. The Port Orchard Police Department is committed to providing law enforcement services to the community with due regard for the racial, cultural, or other differences of those served. It is the policy of this department to provide law enforcement services and to enforce the law equally, fairly, objectively, and without discrimination toward any individual or group. The most common way police agencies have attempted to learn whether bias -based policing is systematically occurring is through the analysis of discretionary traffic stops. The Port Orchard Police Departments can track by race any infractions and citations issued through the electronic capture of SECTOR data and EIS, which is the department's Records Management System (RMS). The review of this data led to the table below. If the officer could not distinguish the race of the individual, the designation of the unknown was placed in the race box. Criminal Traffic' Traffic InfractionS2 ad % By By Port Orchard Race # race race # By race Wy race Demographics White 26 72.2% 358 80.27% 72.3% Black 3 8.3% 9 2.0% 1.9% American Indian/ 0 0% 0 0% 0.5% AK Native Asian/Pac Islander 1 2.8% 19 4.5% 5.4% Hispanic/ Latino 0 0% 0 0% 12.2% Unknown 6 16.7% 60 13.5% Totals 36 446 Review and Analysis of Racial / Biased -Based Policing — 2023 1 Examples — DUI, Driving While License Suspended, Reckless Driving. 2 Examples — Speeding, Moving Violations, Seatbelt/Cell Phone Violations. 3 Source : https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/portorchardcitywashington/PST045221#PST045221 12 Service — Honor — Integrity The Port Orchard Police Department remains committed to ensuring all community members are treated fairly and impartially. The department prohibits officers from engaging in bias -based profiling in the performance of their official duties. One way we evaluate potential bias in enforcement efforts is through an internal examination of our criminal traffic and traffic infraction statistics. When officers stop a vehicle and issue a citation, data is retained on the individual including race and gender as listed on their driver's license. Each year we review these statistics to ensure we are enforcing laws/violations consistent with the demographic makeup of our city. It is important to note that when officers choose to issue a verbal warning during a traffic stop, the department does not collect demographic data on these drivers. A total of 482 citations/infractions were issued in 2023. When reviewing the data collected compared to the City's demographic makeup, the rate of citations and infractions that were issued in 2023 does not appear to show bias. Although the percentage of criminal citations issued to the members of the black community (8.3%) exceeded the percentage of the Black population (1.9%), the total number of criminal citations issued to Black community members totaled three for the year. As such, this does not indicate that there was a bias issue. In addition, the department reviewed the use of force reporting to ensure there are no indications of racial bias or patterns suggesting issues with how force is applied. The annual review did not discover any concerning behavior. As listed in the chart above, all uses of force in 2023 involved white arrestees (8 male/2 female). The department did not receive any complaints regarding discrimination, racial disparity, or bias in 2023. The Port Orchard Police Department will continue to train, improve, and encourage our officers to embrace professional policing consistent with our mission, vision, and values. 13 Service — Honor — Integrity Citizen Complaints The Port Orchard Police Department takes all complaints seriously. We hold our employees to the highest standards and demand professional policing that is consistent with our department's values. We accept and address all complaints of misconduct in accordance with our policy and applicable federal, state, and local law. It is also the policy of this department to ensure that the community can report misconduct without concern for reprisal or retaliation. All complaints are courteously accepted by any department employee and promptly given to a supervisor. Although written complaints are preferred, a complaint may also be filed orally, in person, by email, or by telephone. In 2023, the Port Orchard Police Department received two complaints from the community. The following are summaries of these complaints: CITIZEN COMPLAINT #1 07-16-2023 CC23-001 At the department awards banquet, one of our sergeants used profane language loud enough for others to hear. Command staff present at the event immediately addressed the behavior. A citizen attending the event filed a complaint against the sergeant. The complaint was documented, reviewed, and sustained. The employee received the appropriate level of discipline for their actions. CITIZEN COMPLAINT #2 10-09-2023 CC23-002 Officers were investigating a violation of a court order. One of the parties involved filed a complaint alleging an officer was providing the other party with preferential treatment, made derogatory comments, and failed to file a police report. The review determined that a police report was completed by the officer, there did not appear to be any preferential treatment given to either party, and no derogatory comments were heard in the body camera footage. The officer was exonerated on this complaint. Administrative Investigations Administrative Investigations, commonly referred to as Internal Affairs Investigations, are initiated in one of two ways. They can be the result of an internal review process that leads the Chief to believe further investigation is necessary, or they can be generated by a supervisor who witnesses or alleges that an employee has violated policy. In 2023, the Port Orchard Police Department conducted one administrative investigation. The summary of the investigation is as follows: Administrative Investigation #1 An employee had filed a complaint alleging other employees in their division were not being truthful, that derogatory comments had been made, and that it was not a comfortable working environment. 14 Service — Honor — Integrity Since this investigation involved the entirety of a division of the police department, the Chief of Police elected to hire an outside, independent investigator to complete this investigation. The results of the investigation were not sustained; however, several recommendations made by the investigator have assisted in resolving this situation. At the time of this report, this division is functioning at a high level, and active managerial oversight will provide a healthier work environment and better department function. The following charts provide additional information on the complaints and administrative investigations in 2023: General Categories of 2023 Complaints' Respondents were dissatisfied with the handling of calls, investigations, or reports 0 Demeanor / Courtesy / Rudeness 1 Other Policy Violations 2 Traffic Violations / Vehicle Use by Officer 0 The lost property after arrest 0 Harassment / Racial Discrimination 0 Disposition Explanation of Dispositions Final Dispositions of Type Complaints & Administrative Investigations Sustained When the investigation discloses sufficient evidence to establish that the act occurred and that it constituted 1 misconduct.5 Not When the investigation discloses that there is insufficient Sustained evidence to sustain the complaint or fully exonerate the 1 member. Unfounded When the investigation discloses that the alleged acts did not occur or did not involve department members. Complaints that are determined to be frivolous will fall 0 within the classification of unfounded. Exonerated When the investigation discloses that the alleged act occurred but that the act was justified, lawful, and/or proper. n Some complaints fit two or more categories (e.g., "I didn't like getting a ticket and the officer was rude.") Judgements are made as to the best category fit for such complaints. 5 Complaints are logged in this category if any portion is sustained. 15 Service — Honor — Integrity Review and Analysis of Citizen Complaints/Administrative Investigations for 2023: In 2023, the department received two citizen complaints and conducted one administrative investigation. This is a decrease from 2022 when we had seven citizen complaints and four administrative investigations. There were no significant findings in the citizen complaints that were investigated this year. However, the administrative investigation provided the department with significant recommendations that the department acted on to improve our overall effectiveness and efficiency. 16 Service — Honor — Integrity Vehicle Pursuit - An event involving one or more law enforcement officers attempting to apprehend a suspect, who is attempting to avoid arrest while operating a vehicle by using high- speed driving or other evasive tactics, such as driving off a highway, turning suddenly, or driving legally but willfully failing to yield to an officer's emergency signal to stop. Attempting to Elude - Refers to the actions of a vehicle operator who, after being given a visual or audible signal to bring the vehicle to a stop, fails or refuses to immediately stop the vehicle and drives recklessly while attempting to elude a uniformed officer operating a pursuing police vehicle that is equipped with emergency lights and siren (RCW 46.61.024). In the past several years, the state passed several bills that address tactics police can use, the degree of force an officer may use, and factors that law enforcement must consider before using any degree of force. The new police reform laws also include changes to when an officer may engage in a vehicular pursuit. The officer must have probable cause that a person in the vehicle committed or is committing a violent offense, sex offense, escape, DUI, or other offense where the public safety risks of failing to apprehend are greater than allowing the suspect to escape. The pursuit must also be necessary for identifying or apprehending the person. Similar to 2022, pursuits involving the Port Orchard Police Department were down considerably. However, incidents of citizens fleeing the police have increased significantly. Please see the data below for more information. ELU DES BY CR1ME TYPES 50 -05 -40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2021 2021 2022 2022 2023 2023 11 Eludes 1 Pursuit 31 Eludes 1 Pursuits 50 Eludes 7 Pursuits ■ Pursuits ■ Crimessgainst Person ■ Crimes sgsnsl Property M Crirnes aga inst Society ■ Traffic 3topsJSusp icio us Activity 17 Service — Honor — Integrity Review and Analysis of Vehicle Pursuits — 2023 State law greatly restricts our officers' ability to pursue vehicles. As a result, there was only one pursuit in 2023. It involved a person suspected of driving under the influence. The pursuit only lasted a few miles, at which point the patrol supervisor canceled the pursuit for public safety reasons. It is important to note that since the new law went into effect, our department, along with most others, has seen a significant increase in the number of vehicles fleeing from the police. In 2023, we had fifty vehicles elude attempted traffic stops, as opposed to thirty-one in 2022. All collisions involving police department employees are investigated regardless of the degree of damage. Depending on the seriousness of the collision an outside agency may be requested. Most incidents involved low speeds and minimal damage (i.e., minor scrapes and dents) and would not be classified as a reportable collision under Washington State Law. Each collision is reviewed by the Deputy Chief who evaluates all available data and then classifies the collision as `Preventable' or `Non -Preventable'. Action taken depends on many factors, including the employee's previous driving history, the amount of damage, and the degree of inattention involved. Collisions by Category # of officer -involved collisions 1 # of collisions ruled `Preventable' 1 # of collisions ruled `Non -Preventable' 0 # of collisions that involved injury 0 # of collisions that involved pursuits 0 # of backing collisions 0 Review and Analysis of Employee Collisions — 2023 The one incident involved an officer who was responding to a call. While responding, the officer failed to negotiate a turn properly and struck the curb of the roadway. The impact caused damage to the tire and wheel of the vehicle. This incident was determined to be preventable and a sustained policy violation. The officer received the appropriate discipline and remediation. 18 Service — Honor — Integrity The Port Orchard Police Department is committed to providing employees with the necessary training that encourages safe driving, especially during emergency and stressful situations. We understand our employees' actions, especially when driving marked patrol cars, are highly visible and constantly scrutinized. As such, we will ensure our employees drive professionally in all situations, always keeping the safety of the community in mind. In 2023, the Port Orchard Police Department investigated the negligent discharge of a firearm by an employee. This incident occurred at a firearms training. The officer involved failed to clear the weapon before exiting the firing line. The discharge occurred in the training area, but fortunately, the round impacted the ground, and no one was injured. The investigation led to a sustained finding for violating Port Orchard Police Department policy. The officer involved received the appropriate level of discipline, along with additional training to demonstrate competence in handling firearms. 19 Service — Honor — Integrity