New Rochelle Creates Police Oversight Board

The City of New Rochelle recently enacted a Civilian Complaint Review Board to review police investigations into allegations of misconduct, as recommended by CGR.

The City and its Community Police Partnership Board (CPPB) engaged CGR to research and recommend a framework for the potential creation of a Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) to help build trust between the community and the New Rochelle Police Department (NRPD). CGR analyzed data on civilian complaints about police, gathered stakeholder input, and conducted a national and state scan of civilian review models.

We found that stakeholder groups had widely divergent views of police, police-community relations and the value of creating a CCRB. Most community stakeholders characterized community/police relations as mediocre or needing improvement and generally saw benefits to establishing a CRB, while police interviewees did not see the need for a board and preferred that complaints continue to be handled by the department’s Internal Affairs unit.

After interviewing officials in several NYS cities about their civilian oversight models, we recommended adoption of a review-focused oversight model that responds to community concerns about police actions and provides a way increase transparency and build more trust between residents and police. After a year of deliberation and continued community input, the City enacted a civilian review board model similar to the one suggested by CGR.

For additional information, please contact Dr. Donna Harris.

November 21, 2024 CGR Briefs Edition