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Extracted from Consolidated Report

This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.

Score: 0 (2/0/2)

Napa County Grand Jury • 2011-2012

2011-2012 Grand Jury Final Report on Shooting in Alta Heights

Published: June 15, 2012 39 pages

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⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.

⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.

Findings 8 findings

The Napa Police Department is delinquent in not publishing the results of its Administration Investigation in a timely manner.

Richard Poccia’s body was left on the street over thirteen hours, an inordinate and unacceptable amount of time.

There is a need for more effective collaboration between Napa County Mental Health and the Napa Police Department in crisis situations.

There is no civilian review board in Napa County for OIS incidents.

Much of the Alta Heights community is estranged from the Napa Police Department as result of police actions during and after the Richard Poccia event.

It is commendable that the Napa Police Department provides access to psychological counseling for its officers following traumatic situations such as an OIS.

Adequate psychological counseling is not currently available to Napa communities following traumatic situations that occur in public.

Mental Health’s two unanswered phone calls without more follow-up to Richard Poccia were inadequate.

Recommendations 8

R1

The Napa Police Department explain the reason(s) the Administrative Investigation Report of the OIS of November 28, 2010, is delinquent, and release the report
R2

The Napa Police Department publish future Administrative Investigation Reports of the incidents giving rise to them.
R3

the City of Napa establish procedures to utilize appropriate screening for sensitive crime scenes.
R4

the law enforcement departments in Napa County and Mental Health Department establish more effective coordination in situations of crisis intervention by (1) engaging in joint training exercises, and by (2) maintaining instantaneous communication and patching capability. 8
R5

Within one year the Napa County Board of Supervisors and all Napa County incorporated local governments establish a civilian review board to examine all investigation documents of this incident and all future Officer involved shooting (OIS) incidents to provide feedback from a civilian point-of-view.
R6

the Napa Police Department provide its staff effective public interface and/or appoint a liaison officer to inform and reassure the public during tense events.
R7

the Napa County Mental Health Department (1) establish support programs for communities involved in traumatic incidents, and (2) establish additional programs to promote community awareness of resources for crisis support.
R8

the Napa County Board of Supervisors provide the necessary funding resources to assist Napa County Mental Health with (1) appropriate staff levels for crisis situations, and (2) effective communication routing and patching links with Napa Police.

Conclusions 2

CL1 Page 10

The callousness with which the police treated their neighborhood, and
CL2 Page 10

The insensitive treatment of Richard Poccia’s body. To prevent a repetition of this alienation, the Grand Jury recommends a public relations liaison in the Napa Police Department. Other agencies have reported success with an officer going door to door immediately after an incident to explain what happened to the extent that the situation allows. The Grand Jury suggests the Police Chief consider the position of a police liaison officer, whose duty in tense situations requiring extreme means, would be to disseminate relevant information to affected neighborhood residents. 6 The officer(s) should be present during and after the events for the primary purpose of facilitating understanding and assurance to the community. Other communities have promoted trust and confidence between law enforcement and neighborhoods in various ways. One is to establish a Civilian Police Review Board. Involving civilians promotes trust. A community is more apt to perceive an investigation as fair if civilians are involved in the process. Other cities have dealt with similar divisive events. The City of Oakland, in 2009, suffered the murder of four police officers in one incident. The acting Chief of Police commissioned an investigation by CNA, Institute of Public Research. The report presented an objective, unbiased look at what transpired; what was done right as well as what was done wrong. A report of this nature requested by the Napa Police Department could identify the factors contributing to the tragedy, develop findings on specific actions and decisions, review the use of force, and provide a set of recommendations (advisory and non-binding) to help identify potential improvements in procedures, tactics and training. The Napa Police Department exists to protect and to serve. Commissioning independent reviews as described above would show courage. The erosion of trust this Grand Jury found in the Napa community and particularly in Alta Heights, would be mitigated by such a study and/or civilian review board. Alta Heights has been a quiet, peaceful, close-knit neighborhood for generations. The shooting of Richard Poccia on November 28, 2010, severely traumatized many of the residents of Alta Heights. After the immediate tragedy of the shooting passed, those residents needed a forum to voice their feelings. The Grand Jury recognizes the need to support individuals who have experienced confusion, anger and grief following traumatic events. While Napa Police Department provides psychological counseling to officers (Appendix II.), there is no parallel service available to the affected civilians. The Grand Jury believes the Napa County Mental Health Department is the best public agency to offer this support. Community healing would be enhanced if Mental Health had a community program of services modeled after the services provided to schools following the death of a student. 7

Agency Responses 4

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.

American Canyon City Council

August 22, 2012 • 2 pages View Details ▾

PDF

Calistoga City Council

July 17, 2012 • 7 pages • 1 response • Score: -1 (+0, 0, -1) View Details ▾

PDF

1 response to findings and recommendations

There is a need for more effective collaboration between Napa County Mental Health and the Napa Police Department in crisis situations.

Response: Disagree Score: -1

"Solage Resort Drainage Project should not have been paid with Measure A funds as the City of Calistoga had no duty to pay that $600,000 cost". Response: We disagree with this finding. The Grand Jury was incorrect to assume (on page 12 of the Final Report) that Solage Resort billed $600,000 to pay for the resort's own drainage mitigation. The total cost of drainage infrastructure improvements constructed by the Solage resort was $1,645,254.58, as independently verified by Coastland Engineering. Of this amount, $207,408.14 was paid for by Solage, to construct drainage improvements to mitigate t...

Calistoga City Council/Police Chief

September 24, 2012 • 2 pages • 3 responses • Score: +1 (+2, 0, -1) View Details ▾

PDF

3 responses to findings and recommendations

There is no civilian review board in Napa County for OIS incidents.

Response: Agree Score: +1

- "There is no civilian review board in Napa County for OIS incidents." Response: Agree. There is no such board or entity in the vast majority of jurisdictions in California.

the law enforcement departments in Napa County and Mental Health Department establish more effective coordination in situations of crisis intervention by (1) engaging in joint training exercises, and by (2) maintaining instantaneous communication and patching capability. 8

Response: Will Implement

Due: Within 180 days Scheduled: Within 180 days Score: +1

- "Within 180 days the law enforcement departments in Napa County and Mental Health Department establish more effective coordination in situations of crisis intervention by (1) engaging in joint training exercises, and by (2) maintaining instantaneous communication and patching capability." Response - This recommendation will be implemented within 180 days of this response. Joint training is already occurring. Although it is not known precisely what is meant by the Grand Jury's use of the phrase "instantaneous communication and patching," Calistoga Police Department will ensure that all patrol...

Within one year the Napa County Board of Supervisors and all Napa County incorporated local governments establish a civilian review board to examine all investigation documents of this incident and all future Officer involved shooting (OIS) incidents to provide feedback from a civilian point-of-view.

Response: Will Not Implement

Score: -1

- "Within one year the Napa County Board of Supervisors and all RECEIVED Napa County incorporated local governments establish a civilian review board to SEP 27 2012 examine all investigation documents of this incident and all future Officer involved shooting (OIS) incidents to provide feedback from a civilian point-of-view." Napa Superior Court Response - This recommendation is ambiguous and undefined, and will not be implemented as written because it is not warranted and not reasonable. The recommendation seems to call for Napa County and all incorporated municipalities to establish a single...

Napa City Council

July 12, 2012 • 6 pages • 1 response View Details ▾

PDF

No Responses Found 5

Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.

County of Napa Agency

Napa County Board of Supervisors Elected County Office

Napa County Sheriff Elected County Office

St. Helena City

Yountville City