HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2: Ordinance on Police Auditor Recommendations
ECC
UGENE ITY OUNCIL
AIS
GENDA TEM UMMARY
Public Hearing: An Ordinance Concerning the Police Auditor; Amending Sections
2.450, 2.452, 2.454, 2.456 of the Eugene Code, 1971; and Providing for an Effective Date
for Implementation
Meeting Date: April 20, 2009 Agenda Item Number: 2
Department: Central Services/CMO Staff Contact: Sarah Medary
www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-6877
ISSUE STATEMENT
The purpose of this public hearing is to receive comments and feedback on proposed revisions to
Ordinance20374 – Office of Police Auditor.
BACKGROUND
On November 17, 2008, the council voted to create a 15-member committee to review 18 issues related
to the police auditor ordinance, as well as other issues that the committee members believed should be
reviewed. The Police Auditor Ordinance Review Committee (PAORC) met eight times in January and
February and held a public forum before finalizing its recommendations for council consideration. On
March 9, the PAORC presented its recommended ordinance revisions to the council. The council voted
unanimously to accept the report and move the proposed revisions to a public hearing.
RELATED CITY POLICIES
Some of the recommendations being considered may require bargaining with the Eugene Police
Employees’ Association.
COUNCIL OPTIONS
No formal action is required; a follow up work session will be scheduled after the public hearing.
CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION
No action is required on this item; therefore, no recommendations are offered by the City Manager at
this time.
SUGGESTED MOTION
No action is required at this time. Therefore, no motions are offered by the City Manager at this time
Z:\CMO\2009 Council Agendas\M090420\S0904202.doc
ATTACHMENTS
A.Proposed Ordinance Concerning the Police Auditor in Legislative Format
B.Proposed Ordinance Concerning the Police Auditor
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Staff Contact: Sarah Medary
Telephone: 682-6877
Staff E-Mail: sarah.j.medary@ci.eugene.or.us
Z:\CMO\2009 Council Agendas\M090420\S0904202.doc
ATTACHMENT A
ORDINANCE NO. ______
AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING THE POLICE AUDITOR; AMENDING
SECTIONS 2.450, 2.452, 2.454, 2.456 OF THE EUGENE CODE, 1971;
AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
THE CITY OF EUGENE DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1.
Section 2.450 of the Eugene Code, 1971, is amended to provide as
follows:
2.450 Office of Police Auditor – Established.
(1)
The office of the police auditor, hereafter auditor’s office, is hereby
established to provide an independent location to lodge complaints
involving police employees, monitor internal investigations to ensure
objective, thorough and high quality investigations, and develop
recommendations to improve police services.
(2)
The auditor’s office shall be headed by a full-time professional police
auditor who is hired by and accountable to the city council. The city
council shall hire, supervise, and specify the salary of the independent
police auditor, who shall serve at the pleasure of the city council. All
city council decisions regarding the auditor will be made by a simple
majority vote of the city council.
(3)
The independent police auditor shall have exclusive authority to hire,
supervise, and to make all other employment decisions regarding the
auditor’s support staff. No change relating to the authority to hire and
supervise the auditor’s staff shall be made without formal action of the
city council.
(4)
Any findings, recommendations and actions taken shall reflect the
police auditor’s independent judgment. No person shall use his/her
political or administrative position to attempt to unduly influence or
undermine the independence of the police auditor, or his/her staff or
agent, in the performance of his/her duties and responsibilities.
(5)
The city manager shall include in his/her recommended budget an
allocation sufficient for the [operations of] auditor andthe auditor’s
office to carry out their duties and responsibilities under the
Eugene Charter of 2002 and the Eugene Code, including sufficient
funds to contract for external investigations.
(6) The physical location of the auditor’s office shall be separate from the
police department, but in close proximity so as to facilitate a close
working relationship with others involved in the complaint investigation
Ordinance - Page 1 of 8
process, and easily accessible to the public. The auditor shall have
complete, unrestricted and direct access to the internal affairs
area during office hours.
(6)
7 It is intended that sections 2.450 through 2.456 and 2.240 through
2.246 will provide a system of independent oversight of the police
complaint process and implement section 15-A of the Eugene Charter
of 2002 as adopted by the city electorate on November 8, 2005.
Section 2.
Section 2.452 of the Eugene Code, 1971, is amended by adding
definitions for “Police auditor” and “Service complaint” to the list of definitions in
alphabetical order to provide as follows:
2.452 Office of Police Auditor – Definitions.
Words and phrases used in
sections 2.240 through 2.246 and 2.450 through 2.456 have the following
meanings:
Police auditor or auditor. Police auditor or designee if authorized by
the auditor to undertake a certain function.
Service complaint. A complaint about police employee performance or
demeanor, customer service and/or level of police service.
Section 3.
Sections 2.454 and 2.456 of the Eugene Code, 1971, are amended to
provide as follows:
2.454 Office of Police Auditor – Powers and Duties.
(1)
The police auditor is the administrative head of the auditor’s office and
shall:
(a) Oversee the operations of the auditor’s office, establish program
priorities and objectives, and manage the implementation and
evaluation of work programs;
(b) Develop and maintain operating procedures for the auditor’s
office, including protocols for handling complaints and monitoring
investigations;
(c) Establish standards of professional conduct and provide
necessary training for staff in the auditor’s office.
(d) Act as liaison and provide staff support to the civilian review
board. In collaboration with the civilian review board, the police
auditor shall:
Ordinance - Page 2 of 8
1. Establish and maintain policies, procedures and operating
principles for the civilian review board’s functions; and
2. Conduct education and outreach activities to inform the
community about the process for filing complaints and
commendations about police employees, and develop and
disseminate information and forms regarding the police
complaint handling and review system.
(e) Receive and process complaints concerning police employees;
[and] monitor the complaint investigation and review process as
set forth in sections 2.456(1) and (2); and review a selection of
service complaints.
(f) Perform a quality assurance function with the goal of identifying
systemic changes that will improve police services to the
community. These activities include:
1. Analyzing complaint trends and recommending changes to
police policy, practices and training;
2. Reviewing risk and tort claims and developing
recommendations to reduce risk and liability;
3. Reviewing and reporting trends in completed police
employee disciplinary decisions.
(g) Provide status reports to the civilian review board and city council
and provide recommendations relevant to police policies and
practices to the police commission.
(h) Develop and present to the civilian review board and city council
annual public reports describing the activities of the auditor’s
office, its findings and recommendations, the police department’s
response to its recommendations, and any other information
pertinent to assessing the performance of the auditor’s office.
(i) Provide the city council with any other reports deemed necessary
or requested by the city council. All public reports shall strive to
protect the privacy of all individuals and shall not contain the
names of parties to a complaint (employees, complainants and/or
witnesses) not previously disclosed.
(j) Determine whether applicants for the civilian review board meet
the requisite qualifications in section 2.242(1)(a)1. and
2.242(1)(d).
(2)
The police auditor shall receive timely notification of critical incidents to
enable him/her, or a qualified designee, to report to the scene of critical
incidents. The police auditor and chief of police shall develop
necessary protocols for summoning the police auditor to the incident for
purposes of first-hand observation.
(3)
The police auditor shall participate in use of force review boards.
(4)
All case adjudication and employee discipline decisions shall be made
by the chief of police. The police auditor may develop adjudication
recommendations, but is not authorized to recommend the level of
discipline for police employees.
Ordinance - Page 3 of 8
(5) Except as provided in this subsection (5), the auditor shall treat an
allegation against the police chief the same as a complaint against
a police employee. For purposes of this subsection, an
“allegation” is a report or claim that the police chief has
committed a crime, violated any provision of sections 2.240 to
2.246 or 2.450 to 2.456, violated a person’s civil rights, or failed to
perform the police chief’s duties in accordance with applicable
professional law enforcement standards, including those duties
normally associated with sworn officers.
(a) If the auditor receives an allegation against the police chief,
the auditor shall notify the city manager and shall classify the
allegation and determine whether further investigation is
necessary in order to ascertain material facts concerning the
allegation.
(b) If the auditor determines that further investigation is
necessary, the auditor shall refer the allegation to the city
manager, who shall conduct or arrange for an investigation in
a timely fashion on terms that allow the auditor to actively
monitor the investigation to the same extent as provided in
subsections (2)(d) and (2)(e) of section 2.456 for
investigations of other complaints.
(c) The city manager shall inform the auditor of the city
manager’s decision on the allegation and provide a written
rationale for the decision in a timely fashion.
2.456 Office of Police Auditor – Complaint Processing.
(1)
Complaint intake.
(a) Any person may lodge a complaint or commendation with the
auditor’s office about the conduct of, or services provided by, a
city police employee;
(b) The auditor’s office is the intake center for all community
complaints about police employees. City employees may choose
to lodge complaints against another employee through either
internal affairs or the auditor’s office. The auditor’s office shall
document all contacts and complaints received from any source.
The auditor’s office may refer a complainant to another
department in the city or another agency that would be more
appropriate to address the complaint.
(c) If the city receives a claim for damages that alleges that a
police employee caused the damage, a copy of the claim
shall be forwarded to the auditor’s office for a determination
as to whether the claim should also be classified and
processed as a complaint.
(dc) The auditor’s office conducts the preliminary investigation of all
complaints lodged with the auditor’s office or internal affairs to
appropriately classify and route the complaint and any
Ordinance - Page 4 of 8
accompanying information accordingly. The auditor has
exclusive authority to classify and route complaints as well
as to reclassify complaints if, upon further investigation and
receipt of additional information that was not available at the
time of intake, the Auditor finds reclassification is warranted.
(e) If a complaint is received that alleges criminal conduct on the part
of the employee, the police auditor shall forward the complaint
and any associated information to the chief of police.
(fd) The auditor’s office may determine whether a complaint is
appropriate for mediation or facilitated conversation, and upon the
voluntary agreement of the involved parties and approval of the
chief of police, shall coordinate the resolution of such cases.
1. Mediation is an alternative to the investigation, adjudication
and disciplinary process; if the parties agree to mediation,
the investigation, adjudication and disciplinary process will
end.
2. A facilitated conversation may, but does not necessarily,
result in termination of the investigation, adjudication and
disciplinary process.
(ge) The auditor’s office classifies complaints that will be treated as
community impact cases and provides support to the civilian
review board in its review of those cases and other cases
accepted by the civilian review board.
(hf) The auditor’s office shall provide timely updates on the status of a
complaint and notification to the complainant of its final
disposition.
(ig) The auditor’s office may dismiss a complaint if upon review, it
meets criteria that the auditor has established for such action,
including reporting delays and/or insufficient information from
which to take further action.
(jh) The auditor may review and process a complaint not filed directly
with the auditor’s office if the auditor determines that concerns
have been expressed about conduct of a police employee(s).
(ki) Except for good cause, complaints of minor misconduct involving
courtesy, communications, and minor rules violations that might
be handled as service complaints shall be filed within 60 days of
the incident.
(lj) Except for good cause, complaints of serious misconduct
including, for example, excessive force that causes substantial
physical injury, egregious acts of disparate treatment, or major
rules violations shall be filed within 6 months of the incident.
(2)
Complaint Investigations.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection,
administrative investigations of complaints shall not
commence until after the auditor has received, classified and
routed the complaint. The investigation shall commence
Ordinance - Page 5 of 8
upon classification or as soon as possible after
classification.
(b) Paragraph (a) of this subsection shall not preclude
preliminary investigations by the auditor’s office, or a police
supervisor’s attempt to address a service complaint,
provided that the supervisor prepares and forwards to the
auditor within 24 hours a report identifying the complainant
and contact information for the complainant, and explaining
the nature of the service complaint and the outcome of the
supervisor’s conversation with the complainant.
(c) After consultation with the chief of police and the appropriate
prosecutor, the auditor is authorized to require an
administrative investigation to proceed concurrently with a
related criminal investigation and prosecution.
(d) The police auditor shall actively monitor internal investigations to
ensure a thorough, objective, and timely investigation, and is
authorized to:
1. Participate in complainant, employee and witness interviews;
2. Require the city to undertake additional investigation.
(eb) The police auditor may require, and is authorized to contract for,
an external investigation when the police auditor determines that
an external investigation is appropriate.
(fc) The police auditor will not be directly involved in any criminal
investigations, but shall be kept apprised of the status of such
investigations involving police employees. The police auditor shall
have access to the case file relevant to the administrative portion
of such investigations. [Following the conclusion of any criminal
investigation or within 60 days after the date of the incident, the
auditor has the authority to initiate an internal investigation unless
the police auditor receives written notice from the District Attorney,
United States Attorney, or City Prosecutor that the internal
investigation would jeopardize the criminal investigation and
prosecution.]
(gd) All case files shall be provided to the police auditor upon
conclusion of the investigation for review and a determination that
the investigation was thorough and complete. Once the
investigation is deemed complete, the involved employee’s
immediate supervisor will confer with the police auditor and
develop a case adjudication recommendation that will be
forwarded through the chain of command to the chief of police for
final adjudication. If the police auditor disagrees with the
supervisor’s recommendation, his/her disagreements and
comments will be documented and forwarded to the chief of police
as well. The immediate supervisor and police auditor will use their
best efforts to complete this process in a timely manner and
without unreasonably delaying the final adjudication of the case.
Ordinance - Page 6 of 8
If the investigation reveals evidence of criminal conduct not
previously known, the auditor may refer the matter to the
appropriate criminal prosecutor for his/her consideration.
(he) The auditor’s office will make every reasonable effort to notify the
complainant that an investigation has been conducted, summarize
the case findings, and provide an opportunity for the complainant
to comment or ask questions about the process.
(if) The auditor’s office shall return all case file materials to internal
affairs for retention, but shall have subsequent access to closed
cases.
(jg) The police auditor shall maintain an on-going status report on the
work of the auditor’s office and case investigations and shall share
it with the civilian review board.
(3)
Access to Records and Materials.
(a) Except to the extent that a specified state or federal law
provides to the contrary, or where information resides on a
restricted database governed by a contract that does not
allow access beyond certain law enforcement employees:
1. The auditor shall have complete and unrestricted access
to all complaints, investigative records and information
obtained or developed by the internal affairs
investigator related to an administrative investigation of
a complaint, whether the information exists in electronic
format or hard copy, including information stored on an
internal affairs database;
2. The auditor shall be provided any other information
identified by the auditor that is relevant to a complaint;
and
3. The identity of any individual involved in an event giving
rise to a complaint shall not be withheld from the
auditor.
(b) When legally required or requested by the police chief, the
auditor shall keep confidential the name of any such
individual involved in a complaint and other information
leading to the name of the individual. [ The police auditor shall
have complete and unrestricted access to all complaint and
investigative records and materials, and any other information
necessary for the performance of his/her specified duties.]
(c) Except as [As] provided in section 2.456(2)(fd), the police auditor
shall not have access to a criminal investigation file until the
conclusion of any such criminal investigation.
(db) The police auditor shall supervise the development and
implementation of a case management system to track all
complaints received in coordination with the internal affairs unit,
report case statistics and trends, and provide performance
indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of the auditor’s office.
Ordinance - Page 7 of 8
(ec) The chief of police and police auditor shall develop cooperative
interdepartmental procedures and any necessary infrastructure to
coordinate the flow of information and communication between
the auditor’s office and the police department.
Section 4.
The City Recorder, at the request of, or with the consent of the City
Attorney, is authorized to administratively correct any reference errors contained herein,
or in other provisions of the Eugene Code, 1971, to the provisions added, amended or
repealed herein.
Section 5.
[Effective date clause.]
Passed by the City Council this Approved by the Mayor this
_____ day of _______________, 2009 ____ day of _____________, 2009
____________________________ _____________________________
City Recorder Mayor
00222327.DOC;2
Ordinance - Page 8 of 8
ATTACHMENT B
ORDINANCE NO. ______
AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING THE POLICE AUDITOR; AMENDING
SECTIONS 2.450, 2.452, 2.454, 2.456 OF THE EUGENE CODE, 1971;
AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
THE CITY OF EUGENE DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1.
Section 2.450 of the Eugene Code, 1971, is amended to provide as
follows:
2.450 Office of Police Auditor – Established.
(1)
The office of the police auditor, hereafter auditor’s office, is hereby
established to provide an independent location to lodge complaints
involving police employees, monitor internal investigations to ensure
objective, thorough and high quality investigations, and develop
recommendations to improve police services.
(2)
The auditor’s office shall be headed by a full-time professional police
auditor who is hired by and accountable to the city council. The city
council shall hire, supervise, and specify the salary of the independent
police auditor, who shall serve at the pleasure of the city council. All
city council decisions regarding the auditor will be made by a simple
majority vote of the city council.
(3)
The independent police auditor shall have exclusive authority to hire,
supervise, and to make all other employment decisions regarding the
auditor’s support staff. No change relating to the authority to hire and
supervise the auditor’s staff shall be made without formal action of the
city council.
(4)
Any findings, recommendations and actions taken shall reflect the
police auditor’s independent judgment. No person shall use his/her
political or administrative position to attempt to unduly influence or
undermine the independence of the police auditor, or his/her staff or
agent, in the performance of his/her duties and responsibilities.
(5)
The city manager shall include in his/her recommended budget an
allocation sufficient for the auditor andthe auditor’s office to carry out
their duties and responsibilities under the Eugene Charter of 2002 and
the Eugene Code, including sufficient funds to contract for external
investigations.
(6)
The physical location of the auditor’s office shall be separate from the
police department, but in close proximity so as to facilitate a close
working relationship with others involved in the complaint investigation
Ordinance - Page 1 of 8
process, and easily accessible to the public. The auditor shall have
complete, unrestricted and direct access to the internal affairs area
during office hours.
(7)
It is intended that sections 2.450 through 2.456 and 2.240 through
2.246 will provide a system of independent oversight of the police
complaint process and implement section 15-A of the Eugene Charter
of 2002 as adopted by the city electorate on November 8, 2005.
Section 2.
Section 2.452 of the Eugene Code, 1971, is amended by adding
definitions for “Police auditor” and “Service complaint” to the list of definitions in
alphabetical order to provide as follows:
2.452 Office of Police Auditor – Definitions.
Words and phrases used in
sections 2.240 through 2.246 and 2.450 through 2.456 have the following
meanings:
Police auditor or auditor. Police auditor or designee if authorized by the
auditor to undertake a certain function.
Service complaint. A complaint about police employee performance or
demeanor, customer service and/or level of police service.
Section 3.
Sections 2.454 and 2.456 of the Eugene Code, 1971, are amended to
provide as follows:
2.454 Office of Police Auditor – Powers and Duties.
(1)
The police auditor is the administrative head of the auditor’s office and
shall:
(a) Oversee the operations of the auditor’s office, establish program
priorities and objectives, and manage the implementation and
evaluation of work programs;
(b) Develop and maintain operating procedures for the auditor’s
office, including protocols for handling complaints and monitoring
investigations;
(c) Establish standards of professional conduct and provide
necessary training for staff in the auditor’s office.
(d) Act as liaison and provide staff support to the civilian review
board. In collaboration with the civilian review board, the police
auditor shall:
Ordinance - Page 2 of 8
1. Establish and maintain policies, procedures and operating
principles for the civilian review board’s functions; and
2. Conduct education and outreach activities to inform the
community about the process for filing complaints and
commendations about police employees, and develop and
disseminate information and forms regarding the police
complaint handling and review system.
(e) Receive and process complaints concerning police employees;
monitor the complaint investigation and review process as set
forth in sections 2.456(1) and (2); and review a selection of
service complaints.
(f) Perform a quality assurance function with the goal of identifying
systemic changes that will improve police services to the
community. These activities include:
1. Analyzing complaint trends and recommending changes to
police policy, practices and training;
2. Reviewing risk and tort claims and developing
recommendations to reduce risk and liability;
3. Reviewing and reporting trends in completed police
employee disciplinary decisions.
(g) Provide status reports to the civilian review board and city council
and provide recommendations relevant to police policies and
practices to the police commission.
(h) Develop and present to the civilian review board and city council
annual public reports describing the activities of the auditor’s
office, its findings and recommendations, the police department’s
response to its recommendations, and any other information
pertinent to assessing the performance of the auditor’s office.
(i) Provide the city council with any other reports deemed necessary
or requested by the city council. All public reports shall strive to
protect the privacy of all individuals and shall not contain the
names of parties to a complaint (employees, complainants and/or
witnesses) not previously disclosed.
(j) Determine whether applicants for the civilian review board meet
the requisite qualifications in section 2.242(1)(a)1. and
2.242(1)(d).
(2)
The police auditor shall receive timely notification of critical incidents to
enable him/her, or a qualified designee, to report to the scene of critical
incidents. The police auditor and chief of police shall develop
necessary protocols for summoning the police auditor to the incident for
purposes of first-hand observation.
(3)
The police auditor shall participate in use of force review boards.
(4)
All case adjudication and employee discipline decisions shall be made
by the chief of police. The police auditor may develop adjudication
recommendations, but is not authorized to recommend the level of
discipline for police employees.
Ordinance - Page 3 of 8
(5)
Except as provided in this subsection (5), the auditor shall treat an
allegation against the police chief the same as a complaint against a
police employee. For purposes of this subsection, an “allegation” is a
report or claim that the police chief has committed a crime, violated any
provision of sections 2.240 to 2.246 or 2.450 to 2.456, violated a
person’s civil rights, or failed to perform the police chief’s duties in
accordance with applicable professional law enforcement standards,
including those duties normally associated with sworn officers.
(a) If the auditor receives an allegation against the police chief, the
auditor shall notify the city manager and shall classify the
allegation and determine whether further investigation is
necessary in order to ascertain material facts concerning the
allegation.
(b) If the auditor determines that further investigation is necessary,
the auditor shall refer the allegation to the city manager, who shall
conduct or arrange for an investigation in a timely fashion on
terms that allow the auditor to actively monitor the investigation to
the same extent as provided in subsections (2)(d) and (2)(e) of
section 2.456 for investigations of other complaints.
(c) The city manager shall inform the auditor of the city manager’s
decision on the allegation and provide a written rationale for the
decision in a timely fashion.
2.456 Office of Police Auditor – Complaint Processing.
(1)
Complaint intake.
(a) Any person may lodge a complaint or commendation with the
auditor’s office about the conduct of, or services provided by, a
city police employee;
(b) The auditor’s office is the intake center for all community
complaints about police employees. City employees may choose
to lodge complaints against another employee through either
internal affairs or the auditor’s office. The auditor’s office shall
document all contacts and complaints received from any source.
The auditor’s office may refer a complainant to another
department in the city or another agency that would be more
appropriate to address the complaint.
(c) If the city receives a claim for damages that alleges that a police
employee caused the damage, a copy of the claim shall be
forwarded to the auditor’s office for a determination as to whether
the claim should also be classified and processed as a complaint.
(d) The auditor’s office conducts the preliminary investigation of all
complaints lodged with the auditor’s office or internal affairs to
appropriately classify and route the complaint and any
accompanying information accordingly. The auditor has exclusive
authority to classify and route complaints as well as to reclassify
complaints if, upon further investigation and receipt of additional
Ordinance - Page 4 of 8
information that was not available at the time of intake, the Auditor
finds reclassification is warranted.
(e) If a complaint is received that alleges criminal conduct on the part
of the employee, the police auditor shall forward the complaint
and any associated information to the chief of police.
(f) The auditor’s office may determine whether a complaint is
appropriate for mediation or facilitated conversation, and upon the
voluntary agreement of the involved parties and approval of the
chief of police, shall coordinate the resolution of such cases.
1. Mediation is an alternative to the investigation, adjudication
and disciplinary process; if the parties agree to mediation,
the investigation, adjudication and disciplinary process will
end.
2. A facilitated conversation may, but does not necessarily,
result in termination of the investigation, adjudication and
disciplinary process.
(g) The auditor’s office classifies complaints that will be treated as
community impact cases and provides support to the civilian
review board in its review of those cases and other cases
accepted by the civilian review board.
(h) The auditor’s office shall provide timely updates on the status of a
complaint and notification to the complainant of its final
disposition.
(i) The auditor’s office may dismiss a complaint if upon review, it
meets criteria that the auditor has established for such action,
including reporting delays and/or insufficient information from
which to take further action.
(j) The auditor may review and process a complaint not filed directly
with the auditor’s office if the auditor determines that concerns
have been expressed about conduct of a police employee(s).
(k) Except for good cause, complaints of minor misconduct involving
courtesy, communications, and minor rules violations that might
be handled as service complaints shall be filed within 60 days of
the incident.
(l) Except for good cause, complaints of serious misconduct
including, for example, excessive force that causes substantial
physical injury, egregious acts of disparate treatment, or major
rules violations shall be filed within 6 months of the incident.
(2)
Complaint Investigations.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection,
administrative investigations of complaints shall not commence
until after the auditor has received, classified and routed the
complaint. The investigation shall commence upon classification
or as soon as possible after classification.
(b) Paragraph (a) of this subsection shall not preclude preliminary
investigations by the auditor’s office, or a police supervisor’s
Ordinance - Page 5 of 8
attempt to address a service complaint, provided that the
supervisor prepares and forwards to the auditor within 24 hours a
report identifying the complainant and contact information for the
complainant, and explaining the nature of the service complaint
and the outcome of the supervisor’s conversation with the
complainant.
(c) After consultation with the chief of police and the appropriate
prosecutor, the auditor is authorized to require an administrative
investigation to proceed concurrently with a related criminal
investigation and prosecution.
(d) The police auditor shall actively monitor internal investigations to
ensure a thorough, objective, and timely investigation, and is
authorized to:
1. Participate in complainant, employee and witness interviews;
2. Require the city to undertake additional investigation.
(e) The police auditor may require, and is authorized to contract for,
an external investigation when the police auditor determines that
an external investigation is appropriate.
(f) The police auditor will not be directly involved in any criminal
investigations, but shall be kept apprised of the status of such
investigations involving police employees. The police auditor shall
have access to the case file relevant to the administrative portion
of such investigations.
(g) All case files shall be provided to the police auditor upon
conclusion of the investigation for review and a determination that
the investigation was thorough and complete. Once the
investigation is deemed complete, the involved employee’s
immediate supervisor will confer with the police auditor and
develop a case adjudication recommendation that will be
forwarded through the chain of command to the chief of police for
final adjudication. If the police auditor disagrees with the
supervisor’s recommendation, his/her disagreements and
comments will be documented and forwarded to the chief of police
as well. The immediate supervisor and police auditor will use their
best efforts to complete this process in a timely manner and
without unreasonably delaying the final adjudication of the case.
If the investigation reveals evidence of criminal conduct not
previously known, the auditor may refer the matter to the
appropriate criminal prosecutor for his/her consideration.
(h) The auditor’s office will make every reasonable effort to notify the
complainant that an investigation has been conducted, summarize
the case findings, and provide an opportunity for the complainant
to comment or ask questions about the process.
(i) The auditor’s office shall return all case file materials to internal
affairs for retention, but shall have subsequent access to closed
cases.
Ordinance - Page 6 of 8
(j) The police auditor shall maintain an on-going status report on the
work of the auditor’s office and case investigations and shall share
it with the civilian review board.
(3)
Access to Records and Materials.
(a) Except to the extent that a specified state or federal law provides
to the contrary, or where information resides on a restricted
database governed by a contract that does not allow access
beyond certain law enforcement employees:
1. The auditor shall have complete and unrestricted access to
all complaints, investigative records and information
obtained or developed by the internal affairs investigator
related to an administrative investigation of a complaint,
whether the information exists in electronic format or hard
copy, including information stored on an internal affairs
database;
2. The auditor shall be provided any other information identified
by the auditor that is relevant to a complaint; and
3. The identity of any individual involved in an event giving rise
to a complaint shall not be withheld from the auditor.
(b) When legally required or requested by the police chief, the auditor
shall keep confidential the name of any such individual involved in
a complaint and other information leading to the name of the
individual.
(c) Except as provided in section 2.456(2)(f), the police auditor shall
not have access to a criminal investigation file until the conclusion
of any such criminal investigation.
(d) The police auditor shall supervise the development and
implementation of a case management system to track all
complaints received in coordination with the internal affairs unit,
report case statistics and trends, and provide performance
indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of the auditor’s office.
(e) The chief of police and police auditor shall develop cooperative
interdepartmental procedures and any necessary infrastructure to
coordinate the flow of information and communication between
the auditor’s office and the police department.
Section 4.
The City Recorder, at the request of, or with the consent of the City
Attorney, is authorized to administratively correct any reference errors contained herein,
or in other provisions of the Eugene Code, 1971, to the provisions added, amended or
repealed herein.
Section 5.
[Effective date clause.]
Ordinance - Page 7 of 8
Passed by the City Council this Approved by the Mayor this
_____ day of _______________, 2009 ____ day of _____________, 2009
____________________________ _____________________________
City Recorder Mayor
00226136.DOC;1
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