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Civilian oversight effectiveness measures <br />Are civilian oversight programs effective? Do they achieve their objectives? Round table participants <br />identified and discussed measures they believe would help answer those questions. A program's <br />contribution to a specific outcome may not be able to be isolated from other programs or activities that <br />could have had an impact in the same area. <br />Citizen and officer satisfaction. An important measure is whether or not those who interact with the <br />oversight program are satisfied with the process. Even if they are not happy with the outcome, satisfaction <br />with how they were treated is one indication of how they view the program. Do they believe they were <br />treated fairly in the process? The questions will vary to some extent based on the model of oversight — <br />citizen interaction with the auditor model may be limited. In the review model, both citizens and officers may <br />have direct contact with the oversight body if a hearing is held. In the investigative model, both the citizen <br />and officer have contact with the oversight body through the investigative process. <br />Timeliness of the process. A frequent criticism by citizens who make complaints and officers who are the <br />subject of the complaint is the length of time it takes to investigate and come to a resolution. Depending <br />on the type of complaint, it is not unusual for it to take six months to a year from complaint reception to <br />resolution, if the complaint is sustained and involves disciplinary action against the officer. This is not just in <br />places with civilian oversight bodies —it occurs in police agencies without civilian oversight. <br />Every step of the process should be tracked. Agencies should know how long each step takes and establish <br />benchmarks for completion. Some investigations are more complex than others and will require more <br />time, but a supervisor should approve extensions beyond the benchmark times. If it is difficult at times to <br />contact a complainant, or if an officer is unavailable, that can contribute to delays in the investigation. These <br />circumstances are unavoidable, but they should be documented. <br />When a complaint is sustained and disciplinary action is being considered, the time to resolve the complaint <br />is extended even further. If there are appeals it takes even longer. Departments can decrease these <br />timelines, but these adjustments require close monitoring of the process and reminders to those involved to <br />move the case along. Oversight agencies can also work to ensure that complainants understand the steps in <br />the process and the time it takes to complete them. <br />65A-38 Round Table Discussion <br />