Tacoma Community Oversight Models and Survey Results

Community Oversight Status City of Tacoma | Community s Police Advisory Committee 11

General Overview CPAC received community feedback with moving from a Community Police Advisory Committee looking at transitioning into a Community Police Oversight Committee This was done with outreach events, CPAC meetings, and surveys 22

Current Model Information 11 members: 5 district seats, 5 at large seats, 1 youth seat No member of TPD or their immediate family can serve on CPAC Must be Tacoma Resident Members may serve up to two consecutive three-year terms Unpaid positions with minimal training public No faster access for records; must go through records request Staff Support: City Staffer, City Executive Liaison, 1-2 TPD Liaisons 33

Oversight Models Discussed 1. Investigative Model: CPAC investigates complaints of misconduct themselves and disciplines officers directly. Highest level of oversight; can take years to implement 2. Review Focused Model: CPAC examines quality of IA investigations & makes recommendations for further investigation/improvements to the process. CPAC reviews investigations PRIOR to the final decision and can make recommendations or ask questions before final review by Chief of Police or City Manager 3. Auditor Model: An external individual, or entity monitors and reviews the completeness and thoroughness of Internal Affairs investigations from beginning to end to ensure fairness, thoroughness, and consistency. CPAC would oversee this individual and provide recommendations. Would require a paid full-time position or contracted agency which CPAC could help to hire. 4. Current Model 44

Survey Results Auditor 12% 23% Investigative Review Current 19% 46% 55

Oversight Models Discussed 1. Investigative Model: CPAC investigates complaints of misconduct themselves and disciplines officers directly. Highest level of oversight; can take years to implement 2. Review Focused Model: CPAC examines quality of IA investigations & makes recommendations for further investigation/improvements to the process. CPAC reviews investigations PRIOR to the final decision and can make recommendations or ask questions before final review by Chief of Police or City Manager Auditor 12% 23% Investigative Review 3. Auditor Model: An external individual, or entity monitors and reviews the completeness and thoroughness of Internal Affairs investigations from beginning to end to ensure fairness, thoroughness, and consistency. CPAC would oversee this individual and provide recommendations. Would require a paid full-time position or contracted agency which CPAC could help to hire. Current 19% 46% 4. Current Model 66

Investigative - 46% CPAC CPAC complaints of misconduct themselves and disciplines officers directly. Highest level of complaints of misconduct themselves and disciplines officers directly. Highest level of oversight; can take years to implement oversight; can take years to implement Despite the difficulties in setting it up, it seems the investigative model is the ideal final goal. This gives the CPAC more teeth. Instead of telling police they didn t hold themselves accountable enough, this model allows the citizens a direct path to redress independent of the department s desire to shield their own. Actual authority for actual oversight. External auditory might be fine too. I believe in local law enforcement should be transparent and held responsible for misconduct. Having an external committee conduct investigations would be a good step in the right direction for Tacoma. CPAC as it exists is useless. Actual oversight would be worth the bargaining and time investment to have actual change. All the other models seem to be another form of status quo. If the police, the city and the union members are serious about transparency, community oversight and oversight, they can't continue depending on volunteers to get the job done or use that board to hide. It needs to be a serious entity with compensated community members and training. 77

Current - 23% I prefer this model because this model keeps the committee open for all citizens to participate and feel there would need to be experts to do any of the other models which would probably need to be paid positions. With budget shortfalls, I would much rather there be more patrol officers on the street. For someone to understand the role/job of an officer one must attend the academy, complete field training and work several years. I know the City would never put individuals through this training therefore oversight should not happen. They should have no actual authority given they are not accountable to the public through election and have no training/experience in these matters. As an advisory committee concerns can be addressed and reviewed for validity. This model I have chosen seems to be the most likely to encourage police to do the job they are hired for with the lowest amount of external interference. Other three above just adds more bureaucracy. 88

Review - 19% CPAC examines quality of IA investigations & makes recommendations for further CPAC examines quality of IA investigations & makes recommendations for further investigation/improvements to the process. CPAC reviews investigations PRIOR to the final decision investigation/improvements to the process. CPAC reviews investigations PRIOR to the final decision and can make recommendations or ask questions and can make recommendations or ask questions It seems to be a better fit for an advisory group, while it has some insight on the process, it doesn t get too involved in the investigation but rather thoroughly reviews it. It is important to have real independent oversight of individual complaints from someone outside the TPD organization. This is something Tacoma does not have now. In general, I would support very strong and binding oversight. However, the investigative model seems like it would take a lot of resources so I'm okay with going to the review model now and evaluating how well it works before trying anything more intensive. A more involved decision making and oversight without long drawn out union issues. The police need oversight now, not after years of bargaining. By having a CPAC more involved the hope would be fairness to all and more involvement for guidance or actions. Eliminates lengthy implementation period. Provides for cross-department cooperation in decision making. 99

Auditor - 12% External entity External entity monitors/reviews the completeness & thoroughness of Internal Affairs investigations from monitors/reviews the completeness & thoroughness of Internal Affairs investigations from beginning to end to ensure fairness, thoroughness, & consistency. CPAC would oversee this individual and beginning to end to ensure fairness, thoroughness, & consistency. CPAC would oversee this individual and provide recommendations. Paid full provide recommendations. Paid full- -time position or contracted agency which CPAC could help to hire. time position or contracted agency which CPAC could help to hire. There is no accountability during investigative process for the city of Tacoma or pierce county Less likely to have undue influence, be fairer, more balanced. Similar to the IG or DOJ investigations of police wrongdoing. Because they are involved from beginning to end and could potentially prevent a miscarriage of justice before it occurs. It only works if they have actual authority to force compliance. I really don t think that the inside can figure out what happens without bias of their current processes they rely on. Would hopefully reduce hostility to civilian oversight, if the review process included people familiar with police culture and procedures, rather than one individual. It would allow the CPAC to have oversight of investigations from the start rather than responding after something has gone wrong. 10 10

CPAC Discussion Feedback on oversight from members? Feelings/thoughts on model? Changes? Obstacles or barriers? 11 11

Our next/pending steps Waiting over a year for a consultant to replace previous one offered by city; unclear yet if we will receive this CPAC are community members, and we feel more comfortable with an expert in the field to help with decision making Don t feel like we are set up for success without this and want to go into discussions with our best and most informed framework Discussions regarding different models and timelines Remaining questions 12 12