Community Oversight Advisory Board Bylaws

Transcription

1 Community Oversight Advisory Board Bylaws Name Community Oversight Advisory Board (herein referred to as COAB). Purpose The COAB will oversee, advise, and make recommendations regarding the implementation of the Settlement Agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice (herein DOJ) and the City of Portland that requires reform of Portland Police Bureau (herein PPB) policies, training, and practices, including but not limited to a pattern or practice of excessive use of force in police interactions with people who are perceived by PPB officers to be experiencing a mental health crisis, and police interactions with people perceived by PPB officers to be or who are members of racial, ethnic, cultural, queer, trans, QTPOC, or other marginalized populations. Function COAB functions include, but are not limited to the following: 1. Meet at least two hours each month to assess the implementation of the Settlement Agreement and devote at least 10 hours per month to COAB work; 2. Make recommendations to DOJ, City of Portland, PPB and the Compliance Officer/ Community Liaison (herein COCL) regarding changes to PPB policy and/or practices necessary to meet all the requirements of the Settlement Agreement; 3. Communications: (a) The COAB will effectively communicate and collaborate with Portland community groups including, but not limited to, the Albina Ministerial Alliance Coalition for Justice and Police Reform (AMA), Citizen Review Committee, Portland Police Association, Portland Human Rights Commission, Portland Commission on Disability, Don t Shoot! Portland, and Community Police Relations Committee) along with the Portland community as whole, regarding PPB s progress and implementation of the Settlement Agreement reforms and requirements; (b) The COAB will reach out to the public through various effective communications methods and media; obtain public comment through quarterly public COAB meetings and a series of COAB Town Hall meetings; 4. Advise the PPB Chief, Police Commissioner, and the Portland City Council on the progress of police community relations and PPB accountability reforms required by the Settlement Agreement; 5. Inform the Portland community regarding PPB s progress and PPB s implementation of the Settlement Agreement reforms and requirements; 6. Consult with the City and the COCL about a survey of community members regarding PPB community outreach and PPB accountability reforms, and review the results of the survey; 1

2 7. Provide information and guidance with respect to the development of PPB s Community Engagement and Outreach Plan (CEO Plan herein), including but not limited to the integration of community and problem-oriented policing principles into PPB s management, policies and procedures; recruitment, selection, training, promotion and personnel evaluations; strategies and tactics and deployment of resources; any and all systems of accountability; and examination and analysis of past PPB community outreach programs ; 8. Collaborate with PPB to develop and implement a PPB CEO Plan and submit the plan to the PPB Chief; 9. Review and comment on COCL quarterly reports regarding PPB s progress in making the changes to policies, training, and practices, and other PPB actions required under the Settlement Agreement; 10. Outreach to the public through various communication methods and media; obtain public comment through quarterly public COAB meetings and a series of COAB Town Hall meetings; 11. Collaborate with COCL in assessing PPB s contact and treatment of people in mental health crisis and examine, evaluate, and analyze the criteria used by PPB officers to determine whether a person is experiencing a mental health crisis; 12. Meet at least twice per year with the PPB Chief, the Police Commissioner, PPB Precinct Commanders, PPB Neighborhood Response Teams, and a representative of the Office of Neighborhood Involvement Crime Prevention to assess and solicit comment on PPB s activities regarding community outreach, engagement and problem-solving policing; 13. Solicit and consider input from the Human Rights Commission s Community Police Relations Committee (herein CPRC) including its work to implement the 2009 PPB Plan to Address Racial Profiling ; 14. Collaborate with the COCL, PPB and DOJ to develop qualitative and quantitative metrics to evaluate PPB community engagement and outreach; 15. Collaborate with Portland community groups and PPB in evaluating PPB s efforts to enhance PPB s demographic data collection regarding the subjects of police encounters (including a subject s race, age, sex, and perceived mental health status) and contribute to the COCL s reports on PPB s compliance; 16. As reasonably possible, execute and complete all COAB actions identified in the Settlement Agreement in accordance with the timing and deadline requirements set out in the Settlement Agreement; 17. The COAB will also advise and collaborate with the Albina Ministerial Alliance for Justice and Police Reform (herein AMA) in accordance with the Collaborative Agreement entered between the United States of America, City of Portland, and the AMA; 2

3 18. Undertake any actions outlined in the Settlement Agreement and other actions and tasks that the COAB determines are necessary to ensure that PPB fully and correctly completes and implements every requirement set out in the Settlement Agreement. Membership The COAB will be comprised of fifteen voting members and five PPB advisors. Terms COAB voting members shall serve for a minimum two-year term and may be reappointed for an additional one-year term. Attendance Voting members of the COAB shall attend monthly meetings regularly and participate actively in all meetings and activities, functions and work of the COAB. Members shall also be required to regularly attend sub-committee meetings. A voting member of the COAB who has accumulated three unexcused absences during a one-year period shall be subject to removal from the COAB. Absences will deemed excused as determined by the COCL or the executive committee. Removal The COCL may remove a COAB voting member, if the COCL, in consultation with the DOJ, determines that the member has accumulated three unexcused absences during a one-year period or has engaged in misconduct and should no longer serve on the COAB. No Salary All voting members shall serve on the COAB without compensation. Quorum and Action A quorum of the COAB shall consist of a simple majority of the currently appointed membership, except that persons on approved leave of absences shall not be counted in determining a quorum. In no event shall a quorum consist of fewer than eight voting members. To pass a major action requires a majority vote of the COAB, but not less than eight votes, of the voting members present, provided that a quorum has been established. A major action includes, but is not limited to: voting to make recommendations to the DOJ, City of Portland, PPB, and COCL regarding changes to PPB police and/or practices necessary to meet the requirements of the settlement agreement; voting on comments to the COCL s quarterly reports; and voting to amend the bylaws. To pass a minor action requires a majority vote of the voting COAB members present, provided that a quorum has been established. A minor action includes, but is not limited to: voting to approve COAB minutes; voting to set COAB meeting times and schedules; and voting on other procedural actions. Regular Meetings Regular meetings shall be open to the public, except as otherwise provided by law. The COAB shall comply with all public notice requirements as required by Oregon law. All COAB meetings shall be recorded and permanent recordings of COAB meetings shall be archived on the COCL- COAB website and shall be accessible by the public. 3

4 Participation by Telecommunication A COAB voting member may participate in a meeting of the COAB by telephone or Telecommunications. Public Comment All COAB meeting agendas shall include a sufficient time allocation for the public to address the COAB on issues relevant to the activities, functions and work of the COAB. Executive Committee The COAB may elect five COAB voting members to serve as an executive committee of the COAB. The executive committee, consistent with the Settlement Agreement, shall lead and guide the COAB in its work, including but not limited to collaborating with the COCL to draft a COAB work plan, selecting COAB meeting sites, building COAB meeting agendas, approving and initiating COAB information requests from the PPB, the City, the DOJ, and other organizations or entities that may have information relevant to the COAB work, and approve and initiate any other work or activities of the COAB consistent with the requirements of the Settlement Agreement. Sub-Committees 1 The COAB shall appoint sub-committees to address specific aspects of the COAB s work as determined by the COAB. The creation of new subcommittees or changes to existing subcommittees, including a description and scope, may be proposed to the Executive Committee by the COCL or by a majority vote of the voting COAB members of an existing subcommittee. The Executive Committee shall vote to forward a recommendation to the full COAB for a vote of approval. The entire membership of a subcommittee may vote on procedural issues related to the subcommittee s work, including selection of a chair and vice-chair. Recommendations to the Executive Committee and/or full COAB may only be made by a majority vote of the voting COAB members of a subcommittee. Sub-committees may include non-voting COAB members previously designated as alternates, and members of public. A member of the public who wishes to serve on a subcommittee may be nominated by a voting COAB member after attending two subcommittee meetings. A majority vote of the voting COAB members of the subcommittee is required to confirm the membership of a member of the public. Each sub-committee must select a Chair. The Chair will be responsible for setting the agenda and leading sub-committees meetings. The Chair will also speak for the sub-committee at any meetings, including status reporting at regular meetings of the COAB. In order to maintain the balance and integrity of COAB's carefully selected representation, the Chair must be a voting 1 Sub-committee bylaws amendments reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee on June 26, 2015, and approved by the full COAB on July 9,

5 member of the COAB. A vice-chair, also a voting member of COAB, may also be selected to act as a stand-in for the Chair in the case of their unavailability. COAB members may serve on no more than two subcommittees (including the Executive Committee), and may only chair or vice-chair one subcommittee at any time. Confidentiality In accordance with Oregon law, members of the COAB shall maintain the confidentiality of information designated confidential or privileged that is received in course of their service on the COAB. Chair The COCL is designated the chair of the COAB and shall preside over COAB meetings. Official Statements of the COAB The COAB shall make official statements for the COAB. However, nothing shall prohibit a COAB member from expressing their opinion or perspective on a matter involving the COAB. COAB Information Requests All COAB voting member requests for information, documents, or records from the PPB, the City of Portland, the DOJ, or other organizations or entities that may have information relevant to the COAB work shall be in writing initiated through the COCL and the executive committee. All requests for information, documents or records shall be posted on the COCL-COAB web-site identifying the date of the request and the date received. Amendment of Bylaws These Bylaws may be amended or repealed and new Bylaws adopted by the COAB by majority vote, when a quorum is present. Before adoption of an amendment to the Bylaws, each voting member of the COAB shall be given at least seven days notice of the date, time and place of the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be considered, and the notice shall state that one of the purposes of the meeting is to consider a proposed amendment to the Bylaws and shall contain a copy of the proposed amendment. The method by which notice is given shall include at least two of the following methods of contact: hardcopy via US mail, , phone voic , text message, social media contact or video. Original bylaws approved March 12, 2015; Sub-committee bylaws amendments reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee on June 26, 2015, and approved by the full COAB on July 9, 2015 Kathleen Saadat COAB Chair 5