Item B: Meeting w/Police Comm. - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Police Complaint System and Civilian Oversight Recommendations Other Intake-Related Recommendations Staffing and Physical Location of the Auditor's Office The intake model as described will require additional staffing to be successful. This includes, at a minimum, an auditor and requisite staff (approximately 3 FTE) and additional investigative capacity in the internal affairs unit. The commission recommends that physical location of the auditor's office be separate from the police department but in close proximity to facilitate a close working relationship with others involved in the complaint process. Anonymous and Third Party Complaints Currently, the Eugene Police Department has a practice of accepting anonymous and third party complaints on a case-by-case basis, but there are no formal, documented procedures in place. In general, anonymous and third party complaints can only be investigated if there is enough credible and specific information provided to identify the incident/personnel involved. For clarification, it was agreed that third party complaints include both those submitted by a witness to the incident (can be either an involved party or not), or by a person who is did not witness the event but is bringing the complaint forward on behalf of another person based on information relayed to his/her. In the latter case, the third party may be a parent or an advocate, for example. Noting that anonymous and third-party complaints can serve an important role in the complaint process and can offer a sense of safety to complainants who are fearful of coming forward, the following is recommended: c> The police department should have a formal policy of accepting both anonymous and third party complaints. o Anonymous complaints should be documented and investigated until they either meet a lack of credibility threshold or investigative leads are exhausted. It is acknowledged that complaints alleging more serious misconduct or criminal behavior will be allocated more investigative resources than other anonymous complaints. It is also recognized that the chances for successful resolution of anonymous complaints are low, particularly if the investigator cannot contact the complainant for additional information, and that these cases may be closed after a preliminary investigation due to insufficient evidence or information. o In addition to accepting anonymous complaints, the department should allow complainants to request that their personal information be kept confidential from named employees if an investigation ensues. o The policy should acknowledge the acceptance of two categories of third party complaints: · Those with a reasonably direct relationship to the incident, such as a witness or person with professional or organizational knowledge of incident (supervisor, other employee). · Advocates or others with a special relationship to complainant (e.g., parent assisting a minor child who was directly affected, advocates for persons with disabilities, mental health issues, non-citizens or persons with language barriers). 13