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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
Time: 11:34 am
Time: 11:34 am
Results for citizen oversight committees
1 results foundAuthor: Calderon, Eduardo L. Title: Citizen Oversight Committees in Law Enforcement Summary: Law enforcement officers are charged with performing a variety of difficult tasks in the communities they serve. In order to carry out these tasks officers are vested with high levels of autonomy and authority. Although most law enforcement personnel throughout the United States perform honorable and conscientious police work, enormous amounts of damage can be done by a single reported incident of police misconduct or corruption. In response to allegations of wrongdoing and the use of excessive force by officers, some police agencies have solicited public opinion and involvement in an effort to build bridges of trust and promote transparency. This often includes discussions of establishing a citizen oversight committee. Citizen oversight committees are officially recognized groups composed of members of the community, often non-sworn civilians, who review complaints about police on behalf of the citizenry. Currently, there are more than 100 citizen oversight committees in the United States and approximately 18 percent of local law enforcement agencies in California have one. Each citizen oversight committee is a unique product of the environment that surrounds it. Citizen oversight committees generally fall into two categories or model types: they are either external or internal to the law enforcement agency. A current trend is to incorporate aspects of both external and internal models into a hybrid model. While there are no validated "best practices" in creating citizen oversight committees, successful committees can include benefits such as: empowering citizens, promoting change within law enforcement agencies, improving police-community relations, and increasing police transparency. Despite these benefits, committees face a number of structural and political obstacles that can hinder their ability to create lasting and permanent change in the police agencies they oversee. Many officers believe that citizen oversight and outside investigations are "unfair and biased against them" because their presence implies an inability of police agencies to monitor and investigate themselves. Recent changes in police oversight, however, have shifted away from the "us v. them" mentality. Similar to the theories guiding Community Oriented Policing, contemporary citizen oversight committees have embodied values that seek joint partnerships with stakeholders involved in the oversight process. Support from local politicians and police administrators as well as rank-and-file officers is crucial to the success of all citizen oversight committees. If city officials and the police department do not support the oversight body, it will have no access to the confidential documents and case evidence necessary to review incidents involving police misconduct. To be effective, citizen oversight committees must be skillful at getting policing issues on the city's agenda so that officials will address, rather than ignore, suppress, or minimize problems in the police agency. While there are many things to consider, some important questions to keep in mind when implementing a citizen oversight committee are: - Membership: Who will sit on the committee? Do committee members need to have any specialized skills or knowledge beyond an ability to be fair, open-minded, and conscientious? Will they be paid or volunteer positions? Will positions be appointed or by application/qualifications? How will appropriate- and fair-minded citizens be recruited? - Power and Responsibilities: Will the committee conduct investigations or just oversee the investigation process? Will the committee recommend or issue discipline? Will the committee have subpoena powers? - Governance: Who will oversee the committee - an elected body or police administrator(s)? How will a committee be established – by charter or the electorate? - Funding: How will the committee be funded? What costs will be associated with the implementation and maintenance? - Goals: What is/are the goal(s) of the committee? The success of citizen oversight committees rests on their ability to establish joint partnerships with stakeholders involved in the oversight process. Often citizen oversight committees balance the needs of the public, police officers, and law enforcement agencies in an effort to establish their legitimacy. However, citizen oversight committees should continue to adapt to changes in political leadership and internal departmental transitions so that their membership and legitimacy will remain a fixture for years to follow. Details: Fullerton, CA: California State University - Fullerton, Center for Public Policy, 2013. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 6, 2016 at: http://cpp.fullerton.edu/pdf/cpp_policeoversight_report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://cpp.fullerton.edu/pdf/cpp_policeoversight_report.pdf Shelf Number: 138586 Keywords: Citizen Oversight CommitteesPolice AccountabilityPolice LegitimacyPolice-Community Relations |