San Jose city panel, newspaper conflict over police brutality

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San Jose officials find no problem in study of police use of force
by Sean Webby
San Jose Mercury News
November 23, 2010

A city panel formed to probe concerns over violent confrontations involving San Jose police has concluded that the police department does not have a group of problem officers who have repeatedly used force to arrest suspects in minor crimes.

But the panel's findings -- based on a relatively narrow study of 180 cases from last year -- conflict with an earlier Mercury News review, and may not satisfy the department's critics.

The panel of city officials, which reported its findings on Monday to a City Council committee, was formed at the suggestion of Mayor Chuck Reed a year ago after Mercury News articles highlighting concerns about the police use of force in making discretionary arrests for minor crimes. In its review, the committee found only one officer who engaged in force in more than two of the cases.

The Mercury News, in contrast, identified 10 officers who were involved in four or more incidents of force, based on a review of court cases for the year ending in Oct. 2008.

Full story: http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_16686922
Archive of San Jose Mercury News stories identifying officers in alleged brutality and racial profiling cases: http://www.mercurynews.com/san-jose-police-under-fire