Item 4: Request for Funds for Police Auditor Recruitment

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The Eugene Police Department The Eugene Police Department serves all city residents, as well as the region through it’s 9-1-1 Communications Center. The Department has over 300 employees and a budget of $36.3 million in FY2005. Approximately 180 sworn officers work in patrol, investigations, traffic enforcement and administrative positions, while 120 civilian employees work in records, communications, and administrative and support positions. These employees are distributed through the Department’s four divisions: Patrol and Special Operations, Investigations, Operations Support, and Technical Services. The majority of line employees are represented by the Eugene Police Employee Association (EPEA). In a typical day, Eugene police officers are dispatched to about 300 calls for service. THE OVERSIGHT SYSTEM Eugene City Council recently adopted a hybrid oversight system that consists of both a full-time professionally-staffed Auditor’s office and a Civilian Review Board. The role of the Auditor’s office is to provide a neutral location to lodge complaints and to actively monitor on-going internal affairs investigations to ensure objective, thorough and high quality investigations. The Auditor identifies policy, practice and training concerns to promote organizational changes that improve police services to the community and reduce risk and liability to the City. In addition, a Civilian Review Board, consisting of five to seven community members, will oversee the work of the Auditor’s office. The role of the Review Board is to evaluate the case handling decisions and investigative recommendations for the Auditor’s office and, in situations that meet pre-established criteria, assess how complaints are being investigated and responded to. By involving community members in the review of complaints, the Council hopes to enhance the transparency and public understanding of incidents under investigation, and, over time, to increase the trust and credibility in the complaint process. More information on the system is available on the Police Commission page of the Eugene Police Department website. THE POLICE AUDITOR The Police Auditor is a newly created position that will be hired by and reports to the City Council, as established by the Eugene electorate through a revision to the City Charter on November 8, 2005. The Police Auditor provides independent, external oversight of investigations and complaints involving police department employees. The Auditor’s responsibilities include receiving complaints, monitoring or participating in internal investigations to ensure objective, thorough and high quality investigations, and preparing reports on complaint trends and police practices in general. S/he promotes organizational changes to improve police services and community relations by identifying, analyzing, and making recommendations regarding the complaint investigation process and policies, practices and training. The Auditor provides staff support to the Civilian Review Board appointed by the City Council. Two additional staff are proposed for the employed in the Auditor’s office. The Auditor’s first responsibility will be to develop policies and procedures for the operations of the Auditor’s office, and to assist the Council in the establishment of a Civilian Review Board. The Auditor’s office is responsible for….(Include elements of updated job description per Council Meeting on October 20, 2008.)