The Case for an Independent Police Accountability System 2.1.17 FINAL

The Case for an Independent Police Accountability System: Transforming the Civilian Review Process in Rochester
As a reaction to this kind of violence and police misconduct in general, many cities have
instituted new civilian review processes or enhanced existing ones. There are currently
more than 200 civilian entities that oversee police departments around the country, up
from 100 in 2007. 11 In 2013, the Center for Public Policy at California State University,
Fullerton published a report that reviewed national trends in civilian oversight committees.
The study cites the “troublesome” nature of police autonomy “when officers commit acts
that cause the public to question the integrity of a police officer or agency. Instances of
officer-involved shootings, use of excessive force, or perceived racial profiling can often
challenge public trust in law enforcement
The Case of Robinn Turner
On September 12, 2010, Robbin
Turner, a Black woman, was
assaulted by a youth who threw a
softball- sized rock at her right
knee, causing excruciating pain.
Turner called 911, and Officer
Joseph Ferrigno responded but did
nothing and left. Turner called 911
again and was told a sergeant
would report to the scene, but
instead Ferrigno returned,
whereupon she was again
assaulted by the youths in the
officer’s presence, forcing her to
the ground. Ferrigno then picked
Turner up off the ground, slammed
her onto the concrete and dragged
her by her arm approximately 10
feet, saying, “Bitch, you are on my
last nerve. You’re going to fucking
jail.” When Turner told Ferrigno
that she had a ruptured disk in her
back, Ferrigno said, “Oh yeah?”
then pulled her arm behind her
back and slammed his knee into
Turner’s back. He then handcuffed
her and put her into a police car. A
crowd had gathered, and some
people asked Ferrigno why he was
treating Turner that way. He
replied, “Don’t you know I’m
internationally known to be a
ruthless mother fucker?” Turner
was charged with second degree
harassment, which was later
dismissed. She filed a civil claim,
which was settled by the City for
monetary damages in her favor.
Ferrigno is still employed with RPD.
agencies.” 12 These incidents often lead to
increased costs for taxpayers, who pay for the
prosecution and defense of meritless cases in the
court system.
In 2011, the City of Syracuse, New York, which
had an established citizen review board since
1993, amended its laws to “insure public
accountability over the power exercised by
members of the Syracuse Police Department.” In
2012, the Syracuse Common Council appointed an
eleven-member Citizen Review Board (SCRB) and
hired an administrator and an independent
investigator. The SCRB is a separate department
of the City with its own budget. The SCRB has “the
power to investigate complaints of police
misconduct independent of and concurrently with
any investigations conducted by Office of
Professional Standards (OPS).” 13 Additionally, the
OPS (Syracuse’s internal affairs department) must
provide the SCRB with a copy of the full OPS
report, investigatory case file, and
recommendation to the Chief of Police for each
complaint it investigates. 14 The Board also has the
power to authorize issuances of subpoenas to
compel witnesses, including police officers, to
attend the hearing and records to be produced.
The Chief of Police is required to ensure
compliance by police officers with SCRB
procedures. 15 For more information on the SCRB,
see Appendix A, Appendix C, and Appendix D.
In 2013, the SCRB sustained civilian complaints of
excessive force at a rate of 24%; 16 in 2014, the
sustain rate was 41%, and in 2015 it was 23%, for
an average sustain rate of 31% since the new
12
B. Lacker-Ware & T. Forsyth