A measure that would protect the police auditor and Civilian Review Board positions from being eliminated is on the ballot for the November election. Ballot Measure 20-146 would change language in the section of Eugene’s Charter that discusses the external review of complaints involving police, making it mandatory for the auditor and review board to exist.
The charter’s current language, according to city council member Bonny Bettman, allows the auditor or board to be eliminated by a city council vote, which makes the future existence of the auditor and board uncertain.
All complaints involving police are sent to the auditor’s office, which conducts a preliminary investigation to determine the proper classification of the complaint, and to the appropriate body to deal with the complaint such as Internal Affairs, Bettman told the Emerald in an e-mail. The auditor’s office also monitors investigations, reporting collected and analyzed complaint information to the city council.
“Without the police auditor, the police control every aspect of the complaint process and no external entity has access,” Bettman said in the e-mail.
Among its functions, the board reviews investigations of cases that impact the community, provides aid in evaluation processes of the auditor, and periodically releases reports to the city council.
In her e-mail, Bettman said Eugene’s auditor has considerably less power than auditors or police oversight programs in other communities. The Eugene Police Department’s chief – not the auditor – decides complaint outcomes and recommends or enforces disciplinary action.
Bettman, however, still noted the importance of the auditor’s office and review board.
“They provide oversight, transparency, fairness, and accountability to the police complaint process,” she said.
People in support of the measure include Mayor Kitty Piercy, and groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon and Sexual Assault Support Services, according to the Web site of the Coalition to Strengthen Police and Community Trust . One of the benefits listed on the Web site is that the measure’s approval would save taxpayers money, cutting costs in the city’s expenditures for litigation and settlements.
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