Item 5: Public Comment on Police Auditor Profile

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Public Comment: Police Auditor Candidate Profile Meeting Date: May 8, 2006 Agenda Item Number: 5 Department: City Manager’s Office Staff Contact: Helen Towle www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-5110 ISSUE STATEMENT Members of the community are asked to comment on the desired characteristics and abilities of candidates for the Police Auditor. The ideal candidate is described in the recruitment brochure (Attachment A). This is an opportunity for the public to offer opinions and comments on these characteristics to assist City Council with the selection and hiring process. BACKGROUND On November 8, 2005, the voters of Eugene approved an amendment to the City Charter which authorized the City Council to hire a police auditor and appoint a civilian review board. The auditor position was posted on March 27 and closes on April 28, 2006. As the council prepares to review the applications and prepare for interviews, it will be necessary to think about the personal characteristics of the applicants in addition to the professional expertise. This public forum offers the council the opportunity to hear from the community on these candidate dimensions. The Police Auditor responsibilities include receiving community complaints about police employees and services, monitoring internal investigation to ensure objective, thorough, high- quality investigations, preparing reports on complaint trends, making recommendations for changes in policies and practices, and providing staff support to the civilian review board. One of the Police Auditor’s first tasks will be to develop the policies and operating procedures his/her office and to assist the council in the establishment of the review board. Below are the characteristics for the ideal candidate, as described in the recruitment brochure. Speakers will be asked to comment on these characteristics and traits, with specific attention to the following questions: Are there other characteristics the council should look for in candidates? Which qualities and attributes are of most importance and which are of lesser importance? This high-visibility position is characterized by the auditor’s ability to provide fair and objective oversight of the police complaint process, build credibility among diverse audiences, and instill public confidence in the complaint system. The responsibilities of the police auditor are broad in scope and require the highest degree of professional, independent judgment, personal integrity and accountability. The auditor performs work that is highly complex and often involves issues that are sensitive and confidential. The ideal candidate will possess the following characteristics and abilities: L:\CMO\2006 Council Agendas\M060508\S0605085.doc