Title
2024 Police Auditor Mid-Year Report Briefing
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive a briefing on the 2024 Police Auditor Mid-Year Report.
Report
Issue:
Whether to receive a briefing on 2024 Police Auditor Mid-Year Report.
Staff Contact:
Stacey Ray, Assistant City Manager, 360.753.8046
Presenters:
Stacey Ray, Assistant City Manager
Rich Allen, Police Chief
Tara Parker, Police Auditor, Clarity Investigations and Consulting, PLLC
Background and Analysis:
The City Council employs a Police Auditor (Auditor) to provide an independent review and audit of the Olympia Police Department’s uses of force and its internal investigations regarding complaints against the Department and its employees. The Police Auditor’s duties and responsibilities include examining uses of force, complaint investigations, and public demonstration responses to determine whether there is any evidence of unlawful bias or civil rights violations, and to ensure that they are aligned with best practices.
The City Council contracts with Tara Parker of Clarity Investigations & Consulting for police auditor services. Ms. Parker has completed the 2024 Mid-Year Report to the City Council which covers incidents between January 1 and June 30, 2024.
The Report includes: the number and types of use of force reports that have been audited; the number and types of complaint investigations recorded by the Office of Professional Standards that have been audited; findings; observations; and recommendations for improvements to Department policies and practices.
On October 28, the Social Justice and Equity Commission met with the Police Auditor to discuss the Draft 2024 Mid-Year Report since the planned establishment of a Community Policing Board, based on the Community Oversight of Law Enforcement (COLE) recommendations approved by Council in July 2024, are still underway.
The meeting was structured based on the COLE recommendations, whereby the Police Chief shared an overview of the Department’s 2024 calls for service, activities, and accomplishments through June 30; the Police Auditor provided an overview of misconduct complaints, use of force incident reports audited, and recommendations for operational, training, or policy changes to OPD. The Auditor also provided an in-depth review of one case from the report. This provided a learning opportunity for the Commissioners, with the Auditor having an opportunity to further describe their role, and the processes in place that lead to effective auditing of uses of force and misconduct complaints.
At the Council briefing, the Police Chief will provide an overview of the activities that occurred through June 30, 2024. This will be followed by the Auditor who will brief Council on the Mid-Year Report. The Social Justice and Equity Commission prepared a letter for Council regarding their perspective and recommendations (see attachment).
The Mid-Year Report is posted on the City’s website.
Climate Analysis:
This project is not expected to have an impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
Equity Analysis:
The intent of a Community Board is to enhance community involvement in law enforcement. It’s also the intent that Board membership be diverse and representative of the community’s demographics and lived experiences, including community members who may have been justice-impacted. Having community members learn about the Auditor’s findings and provide input on their recommendations contributes to changes in policing training, policies, and practices that are in alignment with community needs and interests and contributes more broadly to building trust and legitimacy in the City’s public safety system.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
There’s broad community interest in community involvement in law enforcement, including the role and recommendations of the Auditor, and in the OPD data and policy updates shared by the Police Chief. The Auditor meeting regularly with the Commission, and once it’s established, the Community Board, supports ongoing transparency in policing for community members.
Financial Impact:
The City Council appropriated $150,000 for Police Auditor services in the 2024 operating budget.
Options:
1. Receive the briefing.
2. Do not receive the briefing.
3. Received the briefing at another time.
Attachments:
Police Auditor Final 2024 Mid-Year Report
Social Justice and Equity Commission Summary of Input