This comes after the report was mistakenly posted to the city's website late last week, but then abruptly removed once the premature posting was discovered.
The auditor didn't find any wrong doing by officers in the report, but it does offer some suggestions for improvement within the police department.
The 74 page report shows Fresno Police are by and large upholding standard practices as compared to other law enforcement agencies.
Councilmember Lee Brand read the preliminary report Monday. He found the findings thorough and complete. "I think this report, more or less vindicates the Fresno Police Department. It's been a very well run organization that follows up on investigations, doesn't try to cover things up."
The report did note some concerns, including the long length of time it takes the police department to complete officer involved shooting investigations. Between 2002 and 2009, it took an average of 39.6 months to close 26 cases. The San Diego Police Department takes about 7.5 months and the LA County Sheriff's Department takes about 9 months.
The report points out, "The cases have remained open for various disputed reasons such as the lack of internal accountability measures in the department, incomplete case investigations, or delayed reports from offices outside the department" like the coroner, or district attorney's office."
Fresno Police Officers Association President Jacky Parks says the report did not reveal anything groundbreaking. "I didn't expect there to be anything, that there was a smoking gun or something that was hidden and would be found."
The report also recommended upgrading software for the internal affairs unit to ensure accountability. It noted the systems are not connected to each other and do not integrate information well.
The report also noted just over two thirds of residents who participated in an independent survey are satisfied with the police department. That is below the 80 percent national average.
We tried to get a comment from city leaders ... City Manager Mark Scott sent an email late Monday saying the report will be posted to the city's website for the public to review Tuesday. Until then, no one from the city will discuss its contents.
