Document of Interest Provided By Councilmember Hamann on Civilian Review Boards

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Distinctive features The two special features of the St. Paul oversight system are the review commission’s inclusion of two active police officers from the city and its mandate to recom- mend discipline. • On one hand, some members of the community may not see the commission as capable of being objective because it has two officers as commissioners, is part of the police department, and meets at the police station. As a result, some citizens may not trust the process. On the other hand: — Because of who they are and their familiarity with how officers have been trained, the sworn members of the commission tend to be tougher than the civil- ian members in their findings and recommenda- tions for discipline. — Having two sworn officers on the board reduced friction between citizen review advocates and the police union and other officers when the board was being planned and in its subsequent operation. • There are no disputes over gaining access to IA reports in a timely fashion because the commission is internal to the department. • Although the chief is not obligated to follow the com- mission’s disciplinary recommendations, the commis- sion’s ability to provide disciplinary advice allows the chief to learn how community representatives view each officer’s misconduct and to impose punishment, if he so chooses, that reflects these representatives’concerns. • The St. Paul oversight procedure provides no public forum for individual citizens and organizations to express complaints and concerns about the police department’s policies and procedures and officers’ behavior. • Officers are spared having to appear before the com- mission, but some may feel frustrated that they cannot present their side of the story in person. For further information, contact: William Finney Chief St. Paul Police Department 100 East 11th Street St. Paul, MN 55101 612–292–3588 Ruth Siedschlag Coordinator Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission 100 East 11th Street St. Paul, MN 55101 612–292–3583 San Francisco’s Office of Citizen Complaints: An Independent Body Investigates Most Citizen Complaints for the Police Department Background In 1982, the San Francisco City/County Board of Supervisors put the Office of Citizen Complaints (OCC) on the ballot as a voter initiative after a series of police clubbings of demonstrators led to pressure for a citizen oversight procedure from liberal organizations and histori- cally discriminated-against communities, including the department’s own African-American Officers for Justice. A police commission, consisting of five members appoint- ed by the mayor, supervises both OCC and the police department. The commission hires the chief and OCC director. The commission or the mayor may remove EXHIBIT 2–15. POLICE CIVILIAN INTERNAL AFFAIRS REVIEW COMMISSION 1995 BUDGET C ITIZEN R EVIEW OF P OLICE: APPROACHES AND I MPLEMENTATION 55 Budget Item Funding Level Coordinator’s salary (1/2 time)$18,500 Direct costs 18,660 commissioner stipends ($50 per meeting) 6,000 consultants to train new commissioners 700 business cards 60 independent investigator 10,000 office supplies 200 conference attendance by coordinator 1,500 miscellaneous training (e.g., seminars) by coordinator 200 Total $37,160