Civilian oversight entities are formed to improve public confidence in the police, enhance the transparency of policing organizations, ensure investigations are fair and thorough, and make the complaint process accessible to all. There are 200+ Civilian Oversight entities across the US and counting. No two entities are exactly alike.
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What are Civilian Oversight Entities and what do they do?
Civilian oversight entities are formed to improve public confidence in the police, enhance the transparency of policing organizations, ensure investigations are fair and thorough, and make the complaint process accessible to all. There are 200+ Civilian Oversight entities across the US and counting. No two entities are exactly alike.
Civilian oversight entities take on different names and serve different functions including variations of the following: They investigate, monitor, and review policies, procedures, and complaints, and they involve the participation of individuals who are not sworn law enforcement officers.
There are four variations of oversight models:
- Review-Focused
- Investigation-Focused
- Auditor/Monitor-Focused
- Hybrid-Focused
Review-Focused Models
Authorized to review completed internal investigations and can agree or disagree with those findings. In some instances, they can send matters back for review with recommendations.
Community members are appointed. Most often, the appointments are controlled either entirely or partially by the mayor or city council.
Frequently: receive community complaints; review police complaint investigations and make recommendations; hear appeals; conduct community outreach; host public forums; have a board composed of community members.
Sometimes: perform data-driven policy evaluations; have paid professional staff.
Rarely: decide how a complaint will be handled; conduct independent, fact-finding investigations; share disciplinary recommendations with the Police Chief; attend disciplinary hearings.
Auditor/Monitor-Focused Models
Are created to promote broad organizational change by addressing systemic issues, analyzing patterns, and addressing deficiencies in policies and procedures. Staffed by professionals who oftentimes have backgrounds in the social sciences, auditing, data analysis, law and law enforcement, as well as community outreach.
Could have the authority to audit, monitor, investigate, and review law enforcement policies, practices, and procedures. Examples of this include ensuring compliance with policies and procedures, participating in investigations as an observer, monitoring disciplinary processes, conducting complaint intake and classification, or participating in community engagement.
Frequently: receive community complaints; review police complaint investigations; perform data-driven policy evaluations; recommend findings on investigations.
Sometimes: decide how a complaint will be handled; conduct independent fact-finding investigations; share disciplinary recommendations with the police chief; attend disciplinary hearings; have a board composed of community members.
Rarely: hear appeals.
Investigation-Focused Models
Are supported by full-time staff experts who conduct investigations of misconduct independent of the police department’s internal affairs unit.
Have greater access to law enforcement records and databases and oftentimes have jurisdiction over certain types of allegations. Have the ability to subpoena documents and witnesses unlike Review-Focused or Auditor/Monitor-Focused Models.
Frequently: receive community complaints; decide how a complaint will be handled; conduct independent fact-finding investigations; conduct interviews with witnesses including civilians and law enforcement officers; have the authority to gather evidence and prepare reports; recommend findings on investigations.
Sometimes: review police complaint investigations; perform data-driven policy evaluations; share disciplinary recommendations with the police chief; attend disciplinary hearings; hear appeals.
Hybrid Models
Hybrid models are representative of a combination of some or all of the three traditional oversight models and have come to fruition to employ a more holistic, tailored approach to oversight. Hybrid Models are often created with the goal of balancing the interests of involved or impacted stakeholders or as the result of collective bargaining agreements.
The Hybrid Model is largely characterized by a combination of elements from the aforementioned models.
Civilian Oversight Webinar Session 1 Recording
Civilian Oversight Webinar Session 2 Recording
Civilian Oversight Webinar Session 3 Recording
Civilian Oversight Webinar Session 4 Recording
The 14-member Task Force will consist of three open community seats, additional community members, subject matter experts, and other key stakeholders.
Task Force members will explore civilian oversight models for local law enforcement, gather data, and engage in research that will inform the future of a civilian oversight entity in Somerville, including its powers, duties, composition, and more.
Mission: The Civilian Oversight Task Force will create recommendations to inform decision-making on a viable model for a Civilian Oversight body for SPD and/or the City of Somerville.
Vision: The task force will lean on evidence-based research and data to support the needs of Somerville and will provide policy recommendations to Mayor Ballantyne in 2023.
Purpose: In order to increase transparency, public trust, and confidence in this process, the task force will bring together representations from the Somerville community and subject matter experts to inform the mayor's decisions around Civilian Oversight.
Fall 2024 Update
The Civilian Oversight Task Force is finalizing the content of their recommendations following trainings and conversations with guest presenters and City staff. The Department of Racial and Social Justice looks forward to releasing the Civilian Oversight Task Force recommendations by December 2024.
September 2023 Update
Legal & Policy Subcommittee
Subcommittee goals:
- Review and analyze relevant laws and policies.
- Identify areas that may create barriers or challenges to the creation of the civilian oversight board.
- Ensure recommendations are in compliance with laws and policies.
Through August and September, the Legal and Policy Subcommittee has been working to review the 100+ Somerville Police Department's (SPD) policies with a strong focus on Use of Force and Biased Based Policing policies.
The Legal and Policy Subcommittee has explored the best way to ensure that SPD policies are accessible and easy to understand at the community level.
The Legal and Policy Subcommittee will meet with City of Somerville lawyers to provide guidance on the way Collective Bargaining with SPD police union contracts (SPEA, SPSOA) could impact the recommendations of the Civilian Oversight Task Force. In the coming weeks, the Subcommittee will meet with the presidents of the Somerville Police Superior Officers Association and the Somerville Police Employees Association.
Drafting Subcommittee
Subcommittee goals:
- Develop report sections and recommendations.
- Ensure that the Task Force’s recommendations are comprehensive and leave no room for information gaps or blind spots.
Throughout August and September, the Drafting Subcommittee has begun its work drafting recommendations. This included reviewing recommendations from other municipalities to identify key components of a report.
The Drafting Subcommittee has heard from national experts including those from the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) and from similar civilian oversight experts from neighboring municipalities in Massachusetts.
The Drafting Subcommittee will be preparing the first round of recommendations for presentation and review by the Task Force. These recommendations will be informed by independent research, training sessions, data from the community and the Somerville Police Department, and discussions by the entire Civilian Oversight Task Force.
Community Engagement Subcommittee
Subcommittee goals:
- Listen and gather input from the Somerville community to ensure that the communities’ priorities, concerns, and needs are at the forefront of the Task Force’s work.
- Provide opportunities for engagement and share-out about progress.
Over the summer, the Community Engagement Subcommittee hosted three listening sessions to gather community feedback and testimony surrounding civilian oversight from Somerville community members. Across those sessions, key themes emerged:
- Somerville residents are overwhelmingly supportive of increased oversight of the Somerville Police Department, which is consistent with recent survey data.
- Somerville residents believe that a civilian oversight board in the City should have actual power and authority to ensure action is taken when appropriate and to share relevant information with the community, including a summary of aggregated data of all complaints made, active investigations, and a detailed summary of validated complaints.
Next Steps:
- Members from the Civilian Oversight Task Force will be present at upcoming Ward meetings to discuss the Task Force, their work, and answer questions.
- The Task Force report and civilian oversight recommendations will be submitted to the Mayor and released to the public this fall.
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