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Civilian oversight programs vary significantly from one city to the next and even within the general categories <br />described here, and in some communities there are aspects of all of the models. Many programs were <br />established in response to concerns expressed in the community about police accountability. Many advocates <br />believe the police can more effectively be held accountable by an agency outside the law enforcement <br />organization. The exact number of oversight bodies in the United States is not known; NACOLE lists 125 <br />jurisdictions that are part of their membership.2 Forty-six of those jurisdictions are Major Cities Chiefs <br />Association (MCCA) members. <br />One of the major challenges with oversight programs is the limited empirical evidence demonstrating their <br />effectiveness. The three basic models described on page 1 have not been examined to determine whether <br />they actually improve accountability or if community confidence is enhanced by their presence. In some cities <br />where programs have been established, the MCCA has seen calls for changing the way they operate. In <br />Chicago, for example, the mayor dismantled the Independent Police Review Authority and established a new <br />Civilian Office of Police Accountability that began operations in September 2017. <br />The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) collaborated with the MCCA to develop <br />a better understanding of civilian oversight programs in MCCA agencies. Through the project, the MCCA <br />sought to improve understanding of civilian oversight agencies and the implementation challenges. To that <br />end, the MCCA surveyed its member agencies and a held round table discussion in Washington, D.C., on <br />June 15, 2017. <br />This paper discusses the results of that survey and the outcome of the round table conversation and <br />provides an overview of civilian oversight in major city police agencies. While the surveys and subsequent <br />round table were informative, two findings became clear: (1) Because of significant variation of oversight <br />from one jurisdiction to another, it is difficult to make broad generalities, and (2) there is a need for <br />developing clear objectives, measurement, and empirical research to measure effectiveness of the specific <br />models going forward. <br />2. NACOLE, "Police Oversight by Jurisdiction (USA)." <br />Civilian Oversight of the Police in Major Cities 65A-1 7 <br />