The Police Auditor’s Office is charged with protecting the rights of citizens and strengthening the remedies when individuals charged with enforcing the law and protecting public safety violate those rights.  In general, civilian oversight tries to achieve these goals through collaboration between citizens and the police.  By reporting honestly on the depth and pace of police reform, and engaging the public and the police in a dialogue, the Police Auditor may become a vital component of community policing. 

The Police Auditor has three broad mandates: 1) to receive and classify complaints of police misconduct; 2) to audit the investigations based on these complaints; and 3) to analyze trends and recommend improvements to police services in this city.  In addition, the Police Auditor supports a Civilian Review Board which will provide valuable input about the fairness and diligence of the investigation process.  Ultimately, the goal of the Civilian Review Board is to make the system of police accountability more transparent and increase public confidence in the manner that police conduct their work.  The City Council appointed five members to the Civilian Review Board in April 2007:  Richard Brissenden, Norton Cabell, Munir Katul, Ann-Marie Lemire and Kate Thompson.

The Police Auditor’s Office is currently located at 800 Olive Street.    A website application in both English and Spanish is being developed and will contain information, a way to file complaints, and will incorporate a way to confidentially check on the status of complaints.  The intake process will be streamlined to improve services to the community and to cut down on the time it takes to resolve complaints.

Links to the Charter section and ordinance regarding the Police Auditor and the Civilian Review Board are available on this page.  Additional links to organizations and information that may be helpful to you are also available.