The Deficient Outcomes of Civilian Police Oversight in New York City: A Theory Logic Model

• In Event: Intervention & Prevention Approaches to Minimize Police Violence

Abstract

Generally, civilian police oversight agencies fall into one or more of three models, defined in large part by the degree to which the organization serves a proactive or reactive function. Investigation-focused agencies conduct independent investigations of allegations of police misconduct, review-focused agencies evaluate the quality of internal police misconduct investigations or hear appeals from those investigations, and auditor/monitor/systemic review-focused agencies examine protocols and practices of the departments they oversee and make recommendations for change (DeAngelis, Rosenthal, & Buchner, 2016). The New York City Police Department’s kludge of civilian oversight is spread across multiple entities, embodying various proactive and reactive functions which both overlap across organizations while still leaving accountability gaps. This paper describes in detail how civilian police oversight works in New York City, employs a theory logic model to illustrate where the underlying assumptions and implementations of civilian oversight efforts have fallen short of goals, and includes recommendations for restructuring and closing of jurisdictional gaps.

Authors

• Nicole Napolitano, Center for Policing Equity

• Charles Lieberman, Mercy University