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aPolice Review Commission 2019 Annual Report Page 26 <br />dishonesty in the reporting, investigation, or prosecution of a crime or of misconduct of <br />another law enforcement officer. <br />The Commission, the BPD, and other City departments were immediately met with <br />requests for records in all categories. PRC staff was part of a multi -departmental team to <br />ensure proper implementation of the law, and to coordinate and prioritize responses. After <br />devoting considerable resources early in the year to timely respond to requests for the <br />most recent records, research into past complaints continued at a more modest pace. The <br />drop in number of complaints filed toward the end of the year allowed PRC staff to perform <br />this work, saving the City the expense of hiring outside resources. <br />Guiding Principles <br />The Commission enacted a set of "Guiding Principles," in order to strengthen its <br />relationship with the Police Department and the Berkeley Police Association. Among other <br />things, it calls for seeking input from and the Department and the Union when discussing <br />policies and practices, attending community events sponsored by the BPD, and <br />collaborating with the BPD in interactions with the City Council and City Manager on <br />matters related to staffing, equipment, and community outreach. <br />Informal Complaints <br />The Commission also adopted procedures for handling informal complaints, defined as <br />complaints alleging misconduct against specific police officers that are not filed on the <br />PRC complaint form. These complaints were formerly included in public agenda packets <br />as communications until the PRC was advised that the privacy rights of police officers <br />required even informal complaints against named officers had to be handled confidentially, <br />in closed session. <br />65D-43 <br />