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| NEWS > 30 June 2007 |
Other related articles:
Corrupt Cops a Major Problem
December 12, 2005: An anti-corruption campaign by Bamian governor Habiba Surabi, the first woman to head an Afghan province, seems to be leading to an imminent show-down between Mrs. Surabi and the provincial head of the Afghan National Police. The police chief has countered charges of corruption with claims that his force is under strength and under funded. He has pointedly refused to step down voluntarily.
Police corruption, brutality, and ineptitude has been identified as a contributing factor in the hardening of the anti-government insurgency in Oruzgan Province (po... Read more
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Seattle Post Intelligencer - U
30 June 2007
This article appeared in the above title/site.
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'Rationale and Overview' of Ni
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels announced a new, 11-member police oversight commission Friday.
As Scott Gutierrez and Neil Modie pointed out in their story that ran in the paper Saturday, the move is laden with political overtones. Essentially Nickels moved before City Council President Nick Licata was able to name his own panel to look into police accountability issues. Licata says the council will still name its own commission but by rounding up his own group of people first Nickels was able to blunt the impact of what the council might ultimately do.
A Review of Police Accountability in Seattle:
Rationale and Overview
Seattle's current system of police accountability evolved over a number of years with the current configuration developed as a result of recommendations from a Citizens Review Panel convened by Mayor Paul Schell in 1999. The City Council then added two features of oversight to the existing Police Accountability Auditor function. The first new feature was the Office of Professional Accountability (OPA), headed by a civilian director and incorporating the existing internal investigation staff. Subsequently, the OPA Review Board (OPARB) was created in 2002, appointed by and reporting to the City Council, thus rounding out Seattle's "hybrid" form of police oversight. Since then, the City's police accountability process has remained essentially the same though some individuals and groups have called for changes to the process. A more thorough and comprehensive approach to review the process would be beneficial at this time.
Why now?: With several years of experience with our current review mechanisms, now is the time to revisit Seattle's police accountability system and review whether the current system of oversight is achieving the desired goal of increasing confidence in the Seattle Police Department's ability to maintain high standards of professional integrity. A new OPA Director was recently appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. Progress has been made nationally developing citizen oversight models, several of which are based on Seattle's current model. Further, the experiences of other jurisdictions with various mechanisms for civilian review can be instructive in refining the City's approach to police accountability.
During the last eight years, many police agencies across the country have established civilian oversight mechanisms. Today 71 of the nation's 100 largest cities have some form of citizen review for their police departments, with each system addressing the unique needs of its community. Several books have been written on civilian oversight models and organizations, such as the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE), have developed a series of descriptions of best practices models and operating standards.
Overview of Review Process: The Mayor will appoint 11 community members to form a task force to review the way Seattle holds its police accountable. Each member will bring a unique perspective and insight into the subject of police accountability. The goal
of the panel will be to conduct an unbiased review of the system and to make recommendations to the Mayor on possible changes to the police accountability system and explore mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability.
Because transparency is a hallmark of police accountability, this advisory board will also serve in a transparent manner. Input will be sought from various members of the community, as well as from outside experts who understand the complexity of police accountability systems and can share their expertise with the panel members.
The review process will be determined by the panel members. However, at a minimum the board will review:
OPA Structure:
Organization chart
Resources
Authority, duties and responsibilities
OPA Process:
Accountability
Efficiency
Timelines
Fairness/balance
Credibility
Implementation of existing process
Role of the Chief in holding officers accountable
Community relations
Reporting
The purpose of this review is to examine the structure of OPA and how well it is functioning. The panel will not review individual cases, in accordance with the Seattle municipal code and collective bargaining agreements.
The advisory panel will produce a final report offering its assessment of the current OPA, as well as any recommendations for improving the structure or function of the system. Any recommendations will be considered in the context of the laws regulating labor in the state of Washington and the collective bargaining agreements with SPD personnel.
Review Panel Work Program and Timeline
July 2007
Mayor appoints review panel
August 2007
Background materials provided to panel members
First organizational meeting
Discussion of goals/methods
September – November 2007
Interviews with key stakeholders
Examination of best practices and other civilian oversight models
Consultants and experts
Report and recommendations
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