Seventy-seven percent of the complaints made to Portland's Independent Police Review Division alleging police misconduct last year were dismissed and not referred to internal affairs for review, according to an annual division report released Thursday.



That represents 323 of 417 complaints.



The reasons for dismissal could include lack of witnesses, lack of sufficient evidence to prove alleged misconduct, an officer could not be identified or the complaint was not timely, the report says.



The report does not describe the complaints in detail or identify the officers involved.



Of the 123 complaints received from community members that did go to police internal affairs for review in 2012, 53 percent, or 65, were then forwarded to precinct commanders or the officers' immediate supervisors for minor rule violations, 33 percent or 40 were investigated and 15 percent, or 18, were declined for investigation.



The most common rule violations stemmed from complaints of rude behavior or language, the report says.



Last year, police internal affairs conducted full investigations of 40 complaints from community members, and 24 complaints initiated by someone from within the police bureau.



Only 21 percent, or 26 of the community complaints made in 2012 were sustained: 12 for unprofessional conduct, three for discourtesy, three for force and eight involving improper police procedures.



Yet the bureau sustained 86 percent, or 18 of the complaints that were initiated by fellow bureau members against an officer.



In 2012, 66 community or bureau-initiated complaints involved allegations of excessive or inappropriate use of force. Nine officers had two force complaints, while one officer had three complaints.



Complaints were made against 361 police bureau employees. Of that, one employee had seven complaints in 2012, four had five complaints each.



No Portland police officers were fired in 2012, but three resigned or retired while under investigation. Three officers faced lengthy unpaid suspensions of 81 hours or more, nine faced unpaid suspensions between 10 and 80 hours, 15 were given letters of reprimand, and 13 received command counseling.



The report recorded the demographics of people who have filed complaints against Portland police: Fifty-three percent were male, and 47 percent were female.



Sixty-six percent of the people who filed complaints, or 238, were white, 20 percent, or 73, were African American, 5 percent, and 19 were Latino, 3 percent, or 11 were Asian.



Most were between the ages of 35 and 49.



It took a median of 222 days for the full investigative process to be completed, from the time the Independent Police Review Division sent a complaint to internal affairs to when a police review board has issued a finding and proposed discipline.



--Maxine Bernstein









