Civilian Review Board

The Independent Police Auditor supports a Civilian Review Board (CRB) which provides valuable input about the fairness, completeness, and thoroughness of the investigative process. The CRB monitors the work of the Independent Police Auditor, reviews closed complaint cases and provides policy recommendations to the Eugene Police Department and the Police Commission. The seven-member civilian board helps make the system of police accountability more transparent and increases public confidence in the manner that police conduct their work.

Next scheduled CRB meeting: Tuesday December 12, 2023, 5:30 p.m.

The CRB meets on the second Tuesday of most months from 5:30-8pm. The hybrid public meetings can be attended in person, or virtually via Zoom. Please click below for direct links to access the next scheduled CRB meeting.

Tuesday, December 12, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
Via Webinar: https://eugene-or-gov.zoom.us/j/82586199884
Webinar ID: 825 8619 9884
Password: CRBDec23
Attend in Person: 101 East Broadway Suite 230 Eugene, OR 97401
Or Via Telephone: Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
- 971 247 1195
- 720 928 9299
- 206 337 9723
- 213 338 8477
- 253 215 8782

history and role OF THE CRB

Mission Statement

It is the mission of the Civilian Review Board to provide fair and impartial oversight and review of internal investigations conducted by the City of Eugene Police Department involving allegations of police misconduct, use of force and other matters. The Board will strive to build trust and confidence within the community and to ensure that complaints are handled fairly, thoroughly and adjudicated reasonably. The Board will encourage community involvement and transparency in order to promote the principles of community policing in the City of Eugene.

Term, Appointment and Authority

Civilian Review Board members, who are appointed by the City Council, serve three-year terms. No member shall serve more than three (3) consecutive terms. A vacancy that occurs during the term of a member shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, and the appointee shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. The Civilian Review Board authority is in Eugene Code (EC) 2.013 and 2.240 and the Eugene Charter 15-A(2).

Membership

The Civilian Review Board is composed of seven civilian members. One member represents the board on the Police Commission, and another serves as liaison to the Human Rights Commission.

Meetings

The CRB is required to meet four times a year, though historically, CRB members have met on a monthly basis, with the exception of a month off in the summer and winter. CRB meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month from 5:30-8:00pm through a hybrid format. Please refer to the CRB Meetings section for more details about the structure of these meetings and how to attend.

Responsibilities and Oversight Protocols

For a more in-depth review of CRB responsibilities and oversight protocols, please refer to the documents below:

History of the CRB

For a detailed timeline of events leading up to City’s current police oversight system, please refer to the History of the IPA.

CRB Meeting structure

Attending CRB Meetings

CRB meetings are held on the second Tuesday of most months from 5:30pm-8:00pm through a hybrid format. The in-person meetings are in the Independent Police Auditor’s conference room (101 E. Broadway, Ste. 230, Eugene, OR 97401). Attendees who wish to join from home can do so through Zoom. Meeting information is made available a week before a scheduled meeting via this page, by subscribing to the Civilian Review Board's mailing list via Stay Connected, and IPA social media.

CRB Representatives to Other Boards and Commissions

The Board works with the police auditor to identify policy concerns and communicate such to the Police Commission and the Eugene Police Department. Two CRB members serve as representatives to both the Police and Human Rights Commissions. Staff from the Independent Police Auditor also regularly attend these meetings.

Public Comment

Attendees are encouraged to submit public comment during the start of the meeting, however, public comment pertaining to the case under review at the CRB meeting is currently prohibited. When Eugene implemented its civilian oversight system, the Auditor, City, and Eugene Police Employees’ Association negotiated protocols for the oversight system, which established this limitation on public comment.

Case Review Summaries

In preparing for a case review, Board members have complete access to the Internal Affairs investigative file. These materials include call logs, correspondence, body-worn camera video, in-car videos and digitally recorded interviews of complainants, officers, witnesses and others with potentially relevant information. Board members review file materials, the fact-finding report prepared by the Internal Affairs investigating officer, along with the Adjudication recommendations of the Auditor, the Supervisors and the Chief of Police. During our reviews, the IA investigator is available to answer questions about the complaint investigation. The Internal Affairs Supervisor (now a civilian position at EPD) is also available to answer questions regarding department practices, policies and procedures.

The Board follows a case review process delineated in its Policies and Procedures Manual. The Board reviews each case by evaluating and commenting on the following elements:

Auditor’s case presentation;
Complaint intake and classification;
Complaint investigation and monitoring;
Relevant department policies and procedures;
Policy and/or training considerations;
Adjudication recommendations;
Additional comments/concerns.

They accomplish this by sequentially discussing the following four categories after the Auditor presents a summary of the case:

General Comments
Complaint Intake, Classification, and Monitoring
Relevant Department Policies, Practices, and Policy/Training Considerations
Adjudication Recommendations

Trainings

Independent Police Auditor staff work in collaboration with the Civilian Review Board Chair and Vice-Chair to identify training topics throughout the year. Typically, CRB members receive one training topic and review one closed allegation case per meeting, though this can vary if the CRB chooses to review two cases in any given month. These trainings are designed to provide CRB members a deeper understanding of certain processes or protocols, and typically revolve around a particular topic or concern identified in the case they are reviewing that month.

MEETING AGENDAS, MINUTES, AND RECORDINGS

Meeting Agendas and Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings and minutes are available following approval.

Most Recent Agenda | View All

Most Recent Minutes | View All

Meeting Recordings

To view older recordings, please visit the City of Eugene Public Meetings YouTube page.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FAQs

What is the difference between the Independent Police Auditor and the Civilian Review Board?

The City’s hybrid police oversight system establishes distinct roles for the independent police auditor and the civilian review board. In short, the Independent Police Auditor is a fully staffed office that is the main intake point for complaints against EPD; the Auditor also participates in and monitors the investigations to ensure the process is fair and thorough. The Civilian Review Board is a group of seven volunteers who meet monthly to review closed investigations and to assess how the Independent Police Auditor and Internal Affairs handled the complaint.

What are the qualifications for serving on the CRB?

Members of the civilian review board shall be volunteers appointed by the city council, who immediately prior to appointment shall be:

A resident of the city;
Of the age of 18 years or older; and
Able to pass a background investigation consistent with investigations conducted for other city volunteers who have similar access to police records and/or facilities.

The following characteristics shall be considered by the city council when appointing members to the

civilian review board:

A demonstrated ability to be fair, impartial and unbiased;
An absence of any real or perceived bias, prejudice or conflict of interest;
A record of community involvement;
An ability to build working relationships and communicate effectively with diverse groups; and
A demonstrated commitment to the purpose of sections 2.240 through 2.246 and 2.450 through 2.456.

Where can I apply to serve on the CRB?

The City of Eugene Boards and Commissions recruitment usually opens between January and March every year. Once applications are received, the Mayor and Independent Police Auditor convene a subcommittee to review applications and make recommendations to City Council. Council meets in June to appoint new members for all COE boards and commissions.

For more information and to apply during the open recruitment period, please visit the City of Eugene Boards and Commissions page.

Are CRB meetings open to the public?

Yes! We encourage anyone interested in the civilian oversight process to attend our meetings whether in person or virtually. There is a public comment period at the start of each meeting should you wish to share an experience, question, or concern.

How can I attend CRB meetings?

The CRB meets on the second Tuesday of most months from 5:30-8pm. The hybrid public meetings can be attended in person at 101 East Broadway, Suite 230, or virtually via Zoom. Please check our website every month, follow our social media, or sign up through City of Eugene's Stay Connected and subscribe to the Civilian Review Board to receive details about the next scheduled meeting.

How does the CRB choose which cases to review?

CRB members receive a report every month listing all the closed investigations completed the previous month. CRB members can share their interest to review a particular case with the Chair and Vice-Chair, who meet regularly with IPA staff to identify which cases and training topics to select for future meetings.

How can I request that CRB review my case during one of their meetings?

People who have been involved in closed cases may request review of their case by: (1) emailing Auditor staff – Auditor staff will forward the request to CRB leadership, or (2) requesting review in the public comment portion of a CRB meeting.

Why can't CRB members disclose the names of officers and complainants during their case reviews?

Oregon Public Records Laws prohibit us from disclosing the names of involved individuals. Despite this limitation, we strive to be as transparent as possible about the process. We include a case summary prior to discussion of the investigation, and we will refer to involved individuals as Officer A, Supervisor B, Reporting Party (RP), etc…

Why don’t CRB members discuss discipline received by the officer(s) when reviewing a case?

The central reason for this is that Eugene’s oversight system was not set up for civilian input or oversight over disciplinary decisions. Our oversight system does not have a mechanism for Auditor input into disciplinary decisions. As the CRB is intended to review the work of the Auditor and Internal Affairs, that review does not include disciplinary decisions.

ANNUAL REPORTS

Eugene City Code 2.246(7), which governs Eugene’s Civilian Review Board, requires the Board to "…prepare and present an annual report to the city council that:

Summarizes the civilian review board’s activities, findings and recommendations during the preceding year;
Assesses the performance of the police auditor…; and,
Evaluates the work of the auditor’s office, including whether the office is functioning as intended."

To access older reports, please visit the City of Eugene Archive Center.

Interested in serving on the CRB?

The Civilian Review Board accepts applications between January and March each year. Applicants are evaluated by a community panel that makes recommendations to City Council. City Council is responsible for appointing members who typically serve three-year terms. It requires about 5-10 hours per month including time for materials review and meeting participation. If you are interested in being notified when the annual recruitment period opens, please complete this form. See the City of Eugene Boards and Commissions page for more information.

Timeline

In late March, the Mayor will appoint a committee to review all the received applications and make recommendations for filling the positions to City Council.

City Council will make the final appointments in June.