A police car behind crime scene tape. (Getty Images)
An independent review of the Decatur Police Department (DPD) released Thursday afternoon highlighted communication failures, an ineffective civilian complaint-tracking system and some officers treating the public with “little empathy.”
The 43-page report from Green Research and Technology (GRT), sparked by the death of Steve Perkins, 39, at the hands of Decatur police officers in September 2023, said actions of the department led to public distrust and recommended streamlined leadership within the DPD and more communication between police leaders, officers and community members.
The report explicitly excludes “the officer-involved shooting from September of 2023 and any other matters in litigation.”
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“When, for whatever reason, any part of a community no longer believes that the police department represents their best interests, trust is lost,” the report said. “When trust is diminished, tensions increase because of a fear that a community has of the incredible power that police officers hold to take not only freedoms but lives. As we have seen repeatedly across the United States, when tensions are high, it only takes one incident to create significant unrest within a community. The City of Decatur has experienced this situation since a police-involved shooting in September of 2023.”
Perkins was killed early in the morning of Sept. 29, 2023. That day, representatives of the DPD said officers were called to Steve Perkins’ home at about 1:30 a.m. the morning of the shooting after a tow truck driver said a man threatened him with a gun while he was trying to repossess Perkins’ truck. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency alleged that Steve Perkins “brandished a weapon” toward a Decatur police officer.
Ring bell camera footage captured a police officer saying, “Police, get on the ground,” immediately followed by about 18 gunshots. Perkins’ supporters say officers didn’t give him the chance to put his gun away.
His death sparked countless protests at Decatur City Hall, Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling’s home and in downtown Decatur.
Steve’s brother, Nicholas Perkins, said Friday that the report is a step in the right direction for justice.
“I think it revealed what myself and my family and the community had already suspected what was going on, not just since Sept. 29, 2023 but for years, decades even,” he said. “I think the report was very thorough. I think Green Research Technologies did an awesome job. And I think the report was more than revealing.”
Decatur Police Chief Todd Pinion said at a press conference Thursday that he had been made aware of concerns, “specifically those related to our investigation of complaints.”
“I recognize there are opportunities for improvement in this area and I have already begun to implement some changes to ensure better accountability,” he said. “In the days and weeks ahead, I will continue to look for areas of improvement and changes that can be made.”
Communications concerns
The report faulted a lack of communication and cited DPD personnel who said other command staff members “over-shadowed” the chief’s authority. The report describes separated cultures and subcultures within the department instead of a unified force, which it said could undermine the effectiveness of leadership.
The review found that DPD’s policies are consistent with national law enforcement standards and best practices. But they did find instances where the DPD acted in ways that negatively impacted the community.
The report describes some officers who “lacked empathy or were overly ‘stoic’ in their interactions with the public,’” which the report said overshadowed more caring and professional officers.
According to GRT, there were multiple instances where officers antagonized and verbally fought with protesters instead of professionally engaging with them. The report as released to the public did not specify when or where these incidents took place, or the specific nature of the protests.
The report presents positive and negative findings using body camera footage, but both sections are redacted.
“There are redactions of incidents described both positive and negative whereby personal interests, property rights, pending and potential actions including personnel matters, and the City’s interest would be impacted by the release of those items,” said Decatur City Attorney Herman Marks in a statement on Thursday. “It has been our position throughout that we do not desire to impact any civil, personnel or criminal proceedings outside that particular forum. Those items should be processed and handled in those forums in the necessary timeframe accordingly.”
The report also faulted DPD leadership for not recognizing signs of exhaustion in its personnel.
“DPD leaders should have recognized that their personnel were growing exhausted and becoming emotionally overwhelmed,” the report said. “As with anyone, including police officers, emotional exhaustion leads to poor decision-making. DPD leaders failed to provide clear directions and expectations to the officers regarding their engagements or enforcement actions,”
The report recommended additional conflict resolution training, clear lawful protest and assembly guidelines and hiring a uniformed officer as the Public Information Officer.
Two types of arrests are specifically mentioned in the report: “Obstructing Governmental Operations (OGO)” and “Disorderly Conduct.” While most of the sections are redacted, the report says in multiple cases, officers made a Disorderly Conduct charge to arrest someone for using profanity.
The report recommends more training on both of these policies and reviews of the arrests. At his press conference Thursday, Pinion disputed whether that was a widespread issue.
“In the last two years, there have been a total of 21,440 charges filed in Decatur City Municipal Court,” he said. “Disorderly conduct accounted for 161 of those charges and obstructing governmental operations accounted for 110. Clearly this is not an indication of widespread misapplication of those charges.”
Complaint system
The report called the DPD’s system tracking complaints about police officers inefficient and ineffective. It said that while some complaints were entered into a program designed to track a police officer’s activities, known as IAPro, others were kept on an Excel sheet. “Investigations” initiated by the Chief of Police and “complaints,” or formal written citizen complaints, are stored in IAPro.
But the report said that “inquiries” — complaints of any other method of notification, like email, phone call or any type of anonymous reporting — are stored in the Excel spreadsheet. GRT found 92 “inquiry”-types of complaint in the spreadsheet in 2023 and 2024, “which included serious allegations of misconduct including, but not limited to, excessive force, unlawful arrests and thefts,” said the report.
“Some allegations were sustained, but the findings were not entered into IAPro.; therefore, they were not tracked appropriately,” the report said.
It also found the department rarely documented minor violations found during a complaint investigation that were not directly related to the complaint.
“This pattern of ‘overlooking’ these minor violations can lead to a culture of accountability,” said the report.
GRT said it could not investigate some claims thoroughly because multiple body camera videos were miscategorized and therefore deleted.
The report recommended that the department improve its record-keeping; require officers to provide written responses to complaints unless the allegation could be shown to be false through body camera footage or other evidence, or if the action in question could be shown to be within department policy.
GRT also recommended the department provide an easy method for citizens to submit complaints or compliments, and allow anonymous submissions.
In a statement, Decatur City Council President Jacob Ladner said many changes are in the hands of Chief Pinion. “The specific policy and training recommendations would fall on the police chief to implement,” he wrote. “This would include any personnel changes that might need to be made as well.”
However, Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling and the council will address the leadership of the department. On Friday, he wrote that they will decide if they “believe Chief Pinion is capable of leading the department and the city forward.”
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