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SATI e-News: January 27,2003
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Atlanta
Police Chief Launches Inquiry into Hidden Reports,
Handling of Rapes |
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Atlanta Police Chief Richard
Pennington launched an investigation nearly two years after an
internal audit turned up 34 unreported rape cases, according to
the Atlanta Constitution. The investigation will evaluate
procedures, as well as the 34 unreported cases, only one of
which is believed to have resulted in an arrest. Police believe
that three cases are duplicates, but are expected to confirm
that as part of the investigation.
Deputy Chief C.B. Jackson, now retired, initiated the February
2001 audit after the Police Department received an anonymous
letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Constitution.
According to the Constitution, the letter claimed that
"200 or more" sex crimes had not been reported, and it
specifically implicated Jackson and Lt. Terrence Steele, who
then headed up sex crimes.
The audit took place while Steele still headed the department.
In November 2002 Steele was transferred to the Police
Department's corruption unit. Steele has since been shifted to
other duties in the office unrelated to corruption, after the
Atlanta Constitution questioned his connection to the hidden
rape reports through the whistleblower letter, of which
Pennington says he was unaware.
At the time of the 2001 audit, Jackson said all 34 cases were
investigated, according to the Associated Press. He said
he reassigned the cases to detectives for follow-up
investigation. Jackson said if detectives believed the victim
was lying, they put the report in the special file instead of
assigning a case number.
Pennington has named his Criminal Investigations Division head
to conduct the probe. It normally would be done by the PD's
Office of Professional Standards, but the head of that unit was
Steele's supervisor while he was assigned to sex crimes at the
time of the under- reporting. The investigation into the
unreported rapes is ongoing and as of yet there has been no
disciplinary action taken against the accused officers,
according to the Atlanta Constitution.
Sources:
"Rapes Go Unreported in Atlanta Police Department," Women and
Policing News Wire, December 19, 2002.
"Police Chief Starts Inquiry Into Rape Cases," Associated
Press Wire, December 3, 2002.
"Chief Starts Inquiry on Procedures in Sex Cases," Atlanta
Constitution, December 3, 2002. |
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