A closer look at various strategies in other states over the last five years shows that civilian oversight of police can diminish the number of incidents, relieve tension, and save local governments money.
A recent Route-Fifty article looks back on what insights can be gained about civilian oversight of law enforcement in the past five years.
Key indicators of success include:
- well-defined roles and responsibilities for oversight bodies
- community engagement
- data collection and analysis regarding patterns or practices leading to review
- sustained funding and support for oversight initiatives
From the article:
When they work well, civilian oversight bodies play a significant role in helping to diminish tragic events, alleviate police-community tensions and potentially save city money that is lost through police-related legal settlements.
When properly administered these committees can build public trust in law enforcement and improve the experiences of community members and officers. Maryland’s civilian oversight process for law enforcement has shown similarly positive impacts. But as with any new procedure, some stakeholders have called for minor changes to the legislation to ensure the programs in place have the tools to be as effective as possible. A recent policy deep dive on the status of police accountability and oversight procedures in Maryland covers what the overall climate on police reform in Maryland is as well as what changes could be ahead.
