Columbia police department transparency initiative progressing

Columbia police Capt. George Drafts was in Washington at the White House on Friday for a conference on police data initiatives – the term for crime and police information gathered by local departments.

For the past two years, as part of the White House-sponsored drive toward better police-community relations, the Columbia Police Department has published annual reports on all kinds of local police data. Just two weeks ago, the department released its latest report, called 2015 Internal Affairs Report.

“Transparency and accountability – that’s what the goal is,” said Drafts, a 26-year police veteran in charge of compiling the data.

The report’s information is accompanied by text explanations written for the lay person.

“The public doesn’t know what they don’t know,” Drafts said. “If we just release data, it’s hard to tell what it is.”

Here are some questions and answers about the police data initiative, as answered by Drafts, as well as through information in the latest Columbia report on 2015 activity:

Q. What kind of information is in the report the Columbia Police Department now collects and makes available to the public?

A. The information includes use of force and officer-involved shootings, in-custody deaths, assaults on police officers, traffic stops, vehicle pursuits and outcomes and complaints about police to the internal affairs unit.

Q. What’s the origin for the initiative?

A. “The atmosphere in society nationwide in police-community relations has been characterized by deterioration. There is bad communication, a lack of communication and misunderstanding in many instances” between the community and police. In recent years, law enforcement officials have recognized that many citizens don’t understand or don’t trust police. Collecting and making information public helps the public better understand police.

Q. How does the Columbia police department compare with other departments in releasing data?

A. “We’re ahead of some and on a par with others.”

Q. Is the police data initiative the only initiative to make police departments more accountable and transparent?

A. No, it is part of a multi-pronged effort to build better police police departments that will result in better cooperation between police and the communities they serve. Other initiatives involve police policies, use of technology and social media, community policing and crime reduction, officer training and education and officer wellness and safety.

Q. How many other police departments are actively participating in the White House initiative?

A. The department is one of 53 departments nationwide participating in the White House-sponsored initiative.

This story was originally published April 22, 2016 at 6:36 PM with the headline "Columbia police department transparency initiative progressing."