PROFESSIONAL & ORGANIZATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY - RECENT PROJECTS

POLICE MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT HANDLING ANALYSIS

       U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION - As Senior Expert Consultant IV, worked as key member of 3-person team assessing accountability and transparency with the complaints and discipline system in the country's largest law enforcement agency.

  • Developed assessment approach.

  • Aligned CBP leadership on project and approach.

  • Interfaced with all levels of the organization, from the CBP Commissioner to field officers and agents.

  • Conducted interviews with diverse set of internal and external stakeholders including all levels of agency leadership, all agency divisions, and representatives of Non-governmental organizations representing immigrant communities impacted by CBP's work.

  • Considered leadership culture and behavior, policies and procedures, structures, trainings, and other systems that drove the process under assessment.

  • Created an extensive report of findings and recommendations for change, incorporating best practices in law enforcement misconduct investigation and discipline systems, with the public facing report version available on the CBP website. Click to review the press announcement and report.

       SHERIFF'S OFFICE INTERNAL INVESTIGATION UNIT  - Led team to assess use of force misconduct complaint processing and handling of underlying reports of use of force.

  • Coordinated assessment approach with agency providing oversight to Sheriff's Office.

  • Analyzed two years of complaint data for thoroughness, objectivity and timeliness.

  • Interviewed IIU staff and others responsible for investigating misconduct complaints.

  • Compared agency's policies on use of force and misconduct complaint processing against benchmark protocols.

  • Drafted final report with observations and recommendations.

HIRING MORE FEMALE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

       FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY - Served as Executive Consultant (Law Enforcement) with small team to evaluate the effectiveness of an initiative to hire more females at a federal law enforcement agency.

  • Developed plan for initiative assessment.

  • Aligned leadership to prepare for assessment.

  • Conducted literature review.

  • Assisted in developing and implementing assessment tools.

  • Interviewed stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

  • Synthesized and analyzed data for findings and recommendations.

  • Drafted interim and final reports.

CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT OF MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY POLICE 

       DAVIS, CA; SPOKANE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE; and PASADENA, CA - Worked alone or in tandem with another consultant to engage municipal and county executives, councils, and community members and organizations considering the need for police oversight and structural options.

  • Interviewed leaders across the spectrum to identify concerns about law enforcement and inform about alternative approaches to police oversight.

  • Coordinated input from neighboring jurisdictions, such as the University of California, Davis while working with the City of Davis.

  • Identified oversight models best aligned to address issues and reviewed strengths and weaknesses of options.

  • Facilitated large public meetings to elicit broad public input, discuss best practices in police oversight, and deliver findings and recommendations for each locality.

  • Wrote final reports - see samples below.

EARLY INTERVENTION SYSTEM EVALUATION

       COUNTY AUDITING AGENCY - Worked with team to assess the Early Intervention System used by a Sheriff's Office.

  • Developed assessment and engagement plan in collaboration with auditing agency.

  • Reviewed policies and protocols for alignment on internal expectations as to goals, use, and evaluation of EIS program.

  • Interviewed stakeholders from different segments of the organization.

  • Drafted report with observations and recommendations.

MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT INVESTIGATIONS

       UNIVERSITY POLICE AGENCY and MUNICIPAL AGENCY - Conducted investigations of command level officer's alleged off-duty misconduct and complaint against officer implicating commander involving on and off-duty misconduct.

  • Developed investigation plan.

  • Coordinated with involved agencies to secure all relevant records and applicable policies.

  • Reviewed extensive body-camera video/audio footage.

  • Interviewed witnesses.

  • Prepared final reports with summary of evidence and recommended findings, along with evidence file.