The Case for an Independent Police Accountability System 2.1.17 FINAL
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Case</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>an</strong> <strong>Independent</strong> <strong>Police</strong> <strong>Accountability</strong> <strong>System</strong>: Tr<strong>an</strong>s<strong>for</strong>ming the Civili<strong>an</strong> Review Process in Rochester<br />
KEY ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSED POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD<br />
1. <strong>The</strong> Civili<strong>an</strong> Review Board (CRB), established by a 1992 City Council ordin<strong>an</strong>ce, shall be<br />
abolished.<br />
2. An independent <strong>Police</strong> <strong>Accountability</strong> Board (PAB) shall be established, which will be<br />
<strong>an</strong> autonomous office of the City separate from the Rochester <strong>Police</strong> Department (RPD).<br />
3. <strong>The</strong> PAB shall be prohibited from contracting with, hiring, or consulting with the Center<br />
<strong>for</strong> Dispute Settlement (CDS) in <strong>an</strong>y administrative capacity.<br />
4. <strong>The</strong> PAB will be a civili<strong>an</strong>-controlled process <strong>for</strong> hearing civili<strong>an</strong> complaints about<br />
police misconduct. Its oversight will ensure accountability <strong>an</strong>d tr<strong>an</strong>sparency regarding<br />
the powers exercised by members of the RPD.<br />
5. <strong>The</strong> PAB will report to the Rochester City Council <strong>an</strong>d be funded through the budgetary<br />
process of the City of Rochester.<br />
6. <strong>The</strong> PAB will hire <strong>an</strong> administrator, administrative staff, <strong>an</strong>d independent<br />
investigator(s) who are not currently nor ever have been employed by the RPD or <strong>an</strong>y<br />
other law en<strong>for</strong>cement agency.<br />
7. <strong>The</strong> PAB will consist of 11 members who are residents of the City of Rochester <strong>an</strong>d will<br />
serve terms of four years.<br />
8. Six members of the PAB will be elected by the public. Four members of the PAB will be<br />
appointed by City Council <strong>an</strong>d one by the Mayor. PAB members shall not be employed<br />
or <strong>for</strong>merly employed by the RPD or <strong>an</strong>y law en<strong>for</strong>cement agencies while serving as a<br />
Board member.<br />
9. <strong>The</strong> PAB will evaluate the efficacy of existing RPD policies, procedures <strong>an</strong>d practices.<br />
<strong>The</strong> PAB may identify major problems or trends within the RPD <strong>an</strong>d will make<br />
recommendations to the Chief of <strong>Police</strong> <strong>for</strong> appropriate <strong>an</strong>d necessary ch<strong>an</strong>ges to<br />
policies, practices, <strong>an</strong>d procedures. It will share these recommendations publicly.<br />
10. <strong>The</strong> PAB may conduct investigations into the conduct of specific members of the RPD<br />
concerning <strong>an</strong>y allegation of misconduct <strong>an</strong>d may investigate complaints of police<br />
misconduct independently of <strong>an</strong>y investigation conducted by PSS.<br />
11. PSS will provide full PSS reports, recommendations, <strong>an</strong>d investigatory case files to the<br />
<strong>Police</strong> <strong>Accountability</strong> Board.<br />
12. <strong>The</strong> PAB shall be trained in civil <strong>an</strong>d hum<strong>an</strong> rights law, <strong>an</strong>ti-racism, implicit bias, gender<br />
identity <strong>an</strong>d sexual orientation, disability rights, both physical <strong>an</strong>d mental disabilities,<br />
RPD <strong>an</strong>d NY police policies <strong>an</strong>d procedures, <strong>an</strong>d other relev<strong>an</strong>t state <strong>an</strong>d local laws.<br />
8<br />
B. Lacker-Ware & T. Forsyth
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