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how its recommendations are working in practice. The commission held one such discussion in May <br />on the status of its vehicle pursuit policy recommendations. In the FY05 work plan, several other <br />policy implementation reviews are planned in addition to vehicle pursuits, such as SWAT and Use of <br />Force. Second, the commission's review of the police complaint handling and internal investigation <br />procedures will include a review of civilian oversight models. This review will include an exploration <br />of the commission's role as one form of external oversight and, potentially, produce recommendations <br />for modifications to its responsibilities. <br /> <br />Engaging the broader community in commission deliberations is an objective that requires on-going <br />attention. The SWAT Policy Review Committee did have a good turn-out at its public forum to solicit <br />comments on its policy recommendations; however, another forum at the University regarding the <br />police complaint process was poorly attended. A significant effort to engage residents in the police <br />complaint and oversight model discussion is planned using neighborhood associations, public forums <br />with rebroadcast on MetroTelevision and focus groups as some of the outreach mechanisms. The <br />intent' is not only to increase public participation in this critically important discussion, but also to <br />elevate the visibility and accessibility of the Police Commission as a venue for other police policy and <br />practice discussions. <br /> <br />The Police Commission FY05 work plan has been developed and, if approved by the City Council, <br />will chart a course for another very productive year. The magnitude of the commission's review of <br />police procedures for handling and investigating complaints may require the commission to adopt a <br />different meeting schedule to accomplish this item within the timeframe established. This project will <br />be the sole work item before the entire commission, although several committee projects carried over <br />from the FY04 work plan were retained and will be finalized this year. Once again, the Police <br />Commission has not avoided controversial or difficult work plan topics. <br /> <br />The Police Commission's activities over the past few years, documented in its annual reports, <br />demonstrate that the commission has met its charge. Over fifteen policies have been revised through <br />commission review processes, and all of the commission's policy recommendations have been <br />accepted by the police department. In addition to the policy review work, the Police Commission has <br />been involved in prioritizing police resources to reflect preferred practices, including recommendations <br />for next steps in community policing implementation, strategies to address red light running and <br />speeding in neighborhoods, and most recently, community policing activities and partnerships <br />necessary for downtown safety. <br /> <br />The Police Commission is committed to improving its effectiveness as a citizen advisory body. The <br />emphasis on annual policy implementation status reports will be helpful in measuring how its <br />recommendations impact police practices and alert the commission to additional policy or training <br />modifications that might be needed. The commission also continues to be responsive to emerging <br />issues and adaptive to changing community expectations. If through the examination of different <br />models of civilian oversight it is determined that the commission could better serve the community by <br />adopting different procedures or assuming additional responsibilities, the commission is willing to <br />make such changes. <br /> <br />2004 Annual Report Page 10 of 10 <br /> <br /> <br />