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<br /> <br /> Independent Police Auditor’s Office -- 2018 Annual Report 5 <br /> <br /> <br />community about our services and answer questions. We provide our services in an efficient, <br />transparent, and accessible manner, and we are committed to our mission of transparency and <br />accountability for police services in Eugene. <br /> <br />2018 Progress and Results <br />Our office continued to focus efforts on community outreach in 2018; those efforts are described in <br />more detail below. In addition, our day-to-day work involving complaints increased significantly; our <br />office received 392 complaints (a 20% increase) and reviewed 201 reportable uses of force in 2018. <br /> <br />Body Worn Camera Evidence <br />− Body-worn cameras (BWC) were issued to all EPD officers in June 2017. The effect on our work <br />was nearly immediate, as we are now able to thoroughly review every reportable use of force. <br />BWC’s are a significant improvement over in-car video both technologically and as far as <br />portraying a more thorough and accurate version of the police contact. Evidence generated by <br />BWC’s can be viewed by both Internal Affairs (IA) and our office. Our preliminary investigations <br />almost always include review of the BWC video, and we have been able to both identify <br />suspected misconduct (triggering a full IA investigation) and identify situations where no policy <br />violation has occurred. EPD is extremely responsive to our requests to view video. The agency <br />is the holder of the video records, but they grant us access to requested videos nearly <br />immediately. Both our office and the CRB have noted several instances where video has been <br />invaluable in discovering the facts of the incident; Overall, the implementation of these <br />cameras has substantially increased the efficiency and accuracy of the investigative process. <br /> <br />Deadly Force Investigation <br />− Our office reviewed one use of deadly force in 2018. We were promptly notified of the use of <br />force and participated in the pursuant internal affairs investigation; however, in Lane County, <br />use of deadly force by law enforcement is primarily investigated by the Lane County <br />Interagency Deadly Use of Force Investigation Team (IDFIT). This particular IDFIT investigation <br />was complicated by a concurrent EPD criminal investigation (into the activity that led to EPD <br />being called and the ensuing deadly force situation). Our office reviews the IDFIT investigation <br />at its close and works with IA to determine what additional investigative steps may be <br />necessary. Following the close of the administrative investigation, our office participates in <br />EPD’s Deadly Force Review Board. In this instance, the Board found, and our office concurred, <br />that the use of deadly force by EPD employees was well within policy. <br /> <br />Successfully Provided Staff Support for Civilian Review Board <br />− The Civilian Review Board (CRB) met eight times in 2018; all were public meetings. Those <br />meetings included seven training topics and review of 12 complaints (seven allegations of <br />misconduct and five incident reviews/inquiries). The CRB liaison to the Police Commission, <br />June 19, 2019, Work Session – Item 2