65D - POLICE OVERSIGHT - Laserfiche WebLink

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It is often helpful for board and commission members to receive an initial orientation to civilian oversight that includes a review of the variety of models of oversight. Members should be provided with an historical account of the establishment of their own oversight agency and receive training on the charter, ordinance, or other enabling legislation. Members should also be informed of the expectations that the local community and government stakeholders have expressed for the oversight agency. Additional education should include laws governing public records and public meetings; confidentiality requirements; state and local laws that affect an officer's rights and privacy; case law on stops and detentions, search and seizure, the rights of an arrestee, and the definition of excessive force; and steps in the criminal justice process including arrest, booking, arraignment, bail, hearings, and trial. Members should receive information on the history, organization, policies and procedures, and evolution of the local law enforcement agency and should receive extensive training on a wide variety of police practices and procedures, including, but not limited to the following: patrol; rules of conduct; procedures for detention, arrest, booking, transport, and provision of medical care for arrestees; use of force guidelines including defensive tactics, takedown and pain compliance maneuvers, handcuffing techniques, use of batons, less -lethal weapons, or restraint devices, and use of firearms. Members should receive training on the police department's procedures for investigating and reviewing allegations of misconduct and use of force, including officer - involved shootings and in -custody deaths; addressing activities such as large-scale protests; and handling calls or interactions with historically disenfranchised and marginalized communities, such as persons with mental illness, the LGBTQ community, homeless individuals, and persons with disabilities. Members should also become familiar with the history, culture, and concerns of the communities served by the law enforcement agency. Finally, members should receive specific training on their oversight agency's operations and procedures including complaint intake and investigation, mediation, if available, data analysis practices, and disciplinary procedures; evaluating credibility, reaching findings, and due diligence requirements; procedures for hearings and meetings; and developing policy recommendations. Board and commission members should be encouraged to participate in ride -along opportunities with their local police department, too. These orientation, training, and continuing education activities are essential for nearly all persons within the oversight structure, regardless of whether that person is a paid staff member or a volunteer board member and regardless of the model of oversight. All oversight practitioners should strive to be well prepared, and they should be justifiably perceived as knowledgeable by the public and the police in order to maximize the probability of earning lasting support. 30 65D-159