Institutional Structure v Political Will: Albuquerque as a Case Study in the Effectiveness of Civilian Oversight of Police (From Civilian Oversight of Policing: Governance, Democracy and Human Rights, P 83-104, 2000, Andrew Goldsmith and Colleen Lewis, eds. -- See NCJ-188271)

• NCJ Number: 188275
• Author(s): Eileen Luna; Samuel Walker
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 22 pages
• Sale Source: Hart Publishing Co, Inc
• Publication Format: Book (Hardbound)
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This article presents the findings of an evaluation sponsored by the city council of Albuquerque, NM, that examined the city’s two agencies for civilian oversight of the police, as well as the police department’s internal affairs unit, that came about as a result of controversy over a high number of fatal shootings by police and over the oversight units.

Abstract

The analysis focused on the extent to which oversight officials used the powers expressly granted to them by law. Bitter controversy existed by 1996 over a high number of fatal shootings by police and over the effectiveness of the two oversight agencies. Information for the evaluation came from official documents and data, interviews with relevant stakeholders, and a survey and informal discussions with police officers. The criteria used for the assessment were integrity, legitimacy, and learning. Results revealed a high degree of polarization in the community over the police department. Results also indicated that the Independent Counsel (IC), the Public Safety Advisory Board (PSAB), and the Internal Affairs (IA) unit did not function effectively with respect to the criteria of integrity, legitimacy, and learning. Neither the IC nor the PSAB had completely fulfilled their legislative mandates. Findings were mixed regarding the effectiveness of the IC, but almost all the data indicated that the PSAB was ineffective. Findings also revealed that the IA unit was not responsive to the public and failed to conduct thorough and fair investigations in all cases. Findings indicated that the significant aspect of the ineffectiveness of the oversight mechanisms of the agency was the gap between the authorized powers and the actual activities. The analysis concluded that the failure of citizen oversight in Albuquerque was a matter of process rather than structure and that this point was significant because most debates over citizen oversight focused on structural issues. In addition, Albuquerque has since established new accountability mechanisms. Tables, footnotes, and 36 references