Police Oversight Agencies in 100 Largest U.S. Cities

By Sharon R. Fairley

This site reports on an internet survey conducted January through August 2019 of the government bodies responsible for civilian oversight of municipal law enforcement entities in the top 100 U.S. jurisdictions based on population. The survey is an attempt to identify the entities and document the forms of civilian oversight in each city.

In addition to documenting the existence and functions of the entities in each city, the survey, which is based on information available on the internet at the time of data gathering, was also conducted to assess the prevalence of the various forms of civilian oversight across the largest U.S. cities. Based on online information, the survey identifies each civilian oversight agency as providing one or more of the following seven civilian oversight functions: Investigative, Audit, Review, Adjudicative, Advisory, Supervisory, and Appeals. The information on each agency has been compiled to shed light on the prevalence of the various forms of civilian oversight of policing that the largest U.S. cities employ.

The results show that a majority of the top 100 U.S. jurisdictions employ at least one form of civilian oversight of police, and that many jurisdictions have developed more complex, multi-functional systems as dozens of municipalities either started up or enhanced the powers of existing civilian oversight systems in the preceding five years.

Read the full publication here

Note: Thanks for checking out our website. This site is based on data collected in 2019. For more current information on civilian oversight, go to NACOLE.org

Atlanta Citizen Review Board
Atlanta
GA
486,290
Investigative
2007
1
Investigative
Board of Police Commissioners
Los Angeles
CA
3,999,759
Supervisory
1925
1
Supervisory
Board of Police Commissioners
Kansas City
MO
488,943
Supervisory
1939
2
Adjudicative, Supervisory
Board of Police Commissioners
St. Louis
MO
308,626
Supervisory
1861
1
Supervisory
Board of Police Commissioners
Detroit
MI
673,104
Supervisory
1974
2
Adjudicative, Supervisory
Board of Rights
Los Angeles
CA
3,999,759
Appeals
1953
1
Appeals
Chicago Police Board
Chicago
IL
2,716,450
Adjudicative
1960
3
Adjudicative, Supervisory, Advisory
Citizen Advisory Action Board
San Antonio
TX
1,511,946
Review
2
Review, Adjudicative
Citizen Advisory Group
Chesapeake
VA
240,397
Advisory
2010
1
Advisory
Citizen Complaint Authority
Cincinnati
OH
301,301
Investigative
2003
2
Investigative, Review
Citizen Complaint Review Board
Omaha
NE
466,893
Appeals
2014
1
Appeals
Citizen Oversight Board
Denver
CO
704,621
Advisory
2004
1
Advisory
Citizen Police Advisory Board
Lincoln
NE
284,736
Advisory
1975
1
Advisory
Citizen Police Complaint Commission
Long Beach
CA
469,450
Investigative
1990
1
Investigative
Citizen Police Review Board
Pittsburgh
PA
302,407
Investigative
1996
2
Investigative, Adjudicative
Citizen Review Board
Las Vegas
NV
641,676
Review
1999
1
Review
Citizen Review Committee
Portland
OR
647,805
Advisory
2001
2
Appeals, Advisory
Citizen's Police Review Board
Orlando
FL
280,257
Review
1992
1
Review
Citizen's Police Review Board
Winston-Salem
NC
244,605
Appeals
1993
1
Appeals
Citizens Advisory Board
Oklahoma City
OK
643,648
Review
1992
1
Review
Citizens Commission on Police Accountability
Louisville-Jefferson County
KY
621,349
Review
2003
1
Review
Citizens Police Complaint Board
Indianapolis
IN
863,002
Review
1990
1
Review
Citizens Police Complaint Office
Indianapolis
IN
863,002
1988
0
Citizens Review Board
Tampa
FL
385,430
Review
2015
2
Review, Advisory
Citizens Review Board
Charlotte
NC
859,035
Appeals
1997
1
Appeals
Citizens' Panel for Review of Police Complaints and Use of Force
Chandler
AZ
253,458
Review
2000
1
Review
Civil Service Board
Phoenix
AZ
1,626,078
Appeals
1
Appeals
Civilian Complaint Review Board
New York
NY
8,622,698
Investigative
1953
2
Investigative, Review
Civilian Complaint Review Board
Newark
NJ
285,154
Review
2016
2
Investigative, Review
Civilian Investigative Panel
Miami
FL
463,347
Review
2001
2
Review, Advisory
Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board
Memphis
TN
652,236
Investigative
1994
1
Investigative
Civilian Office of Police Accountability
Chicago
IL
2,716,450
Investigative
2016
2
Investigative, Advisory
Civilian Oversight Board
St. Louis
MO
308,626
Review
2014
1
Review
Civilian Police Oversight Agency
Albuquerque
NM
558,545
Investigative
2014
1
Investigative
Civilian Police Review Board
Cleveland
OH
385,525
Review
1984
1
Review
Civilian Police Review Board
Durham
NC
267,743
Appeals
2003
1
Appeals
Civilian Police Review Board
Toledo
OH
276,491
Appeals
1991
2
Appeals, Advisory
Civilian Police Review Committee
St. Petersburg
FL
263,255
Review
1991
1
Review
Civilian Review Board
Baltimore
MD
611,648
Investigative
1999
2
Investigative, Review
Common Council Police Oversight Committee
Buffalo
NY
258,612
Supervisory
2
Supervisory, Advisory
Community Advisory Board
Buffalo
NY
258,612
Advisory
2018
1
Advisory
Community Ombudsman Oversight Panel
Boston
MA
685,094
Review
2007
2
Review, Appeals
Community Oversight Board
Nashville-Davidson
TN
667,560
Investigative
2019
1
Investigative
Community Oversight Task Force
Baltimore
MD
611,648
Advisory
2017
1
Advisory
Community Police Commission
Seattle
WA
724,745
Supervisory
2013
1
Supervisory
Community Police Oversight Board
Dallas
TX
1,341,075
Advisory
2019
2
Review, Advisory
Community Police Review Agency
Oakland
CA
425,195
Investigative
2016
1
Investigative
Community Police Review Commission
Sacramento
CA
501,901
Advisory
2016
1
Advisory
Community Police Review Commission
Riverside
CA
327,728
Review
2000
2
Review, Advisory
Community Police Review Commission
Austin
TX
950,715
Advisory
2019
2
Review, Advisory
Community Review Board on Police Practices
San Diego
CA
1,419,516
Review
1985
1
Review
Department of Police Accountability
San Francisco
CA
884,363
Investigative
1982
1
Investigative
Disciplinary Review Board
Phoenix
AZ
1,626,078
Adjudicative
1
Adjudicative
Honolulu Police Commission
Honolulu
HI
350,395
Supervisory
1932
2
Review, Supervisory
Independent Police Auditor
Tucson
AZ
535,677
Review
1997
1
Audit
Independent Police Monitor
New Orleans
LA
393,292
Review
2009
1
Review
Independent Police Oversight Board
Houston
TX
2,312,717
Review
2011
1
Review
Independent Police Review
Portland
OR
647,805
Review
1
Review
Independent Review Board
Aurora
CO
366,623
Adjudicative
2016
1
Adjudicative
Inspector General for NYPD
New York
NY
8,622,698
Audit
2014
4
Investigative, Review, Audit, Advisory
LAPD Office of the Inspector General
Los Angeles
CA
3,999,759
Audit
1995
1
Review
Milwaukee Police and Fire Commission
Milwaukee
WI
595,351
Supervisory
1885
4
Investigative, Adjudicative, Appeals, Supervisory
OIG/Public Safety Inspector General
Chicago
IL
2,716,450
Audit
2016
3
Review, Audit, Advisory
Office of Community Complaints
Kansas City
MO
488,943
Review
1970
1
Review
Office of Community Police Oversight
Dallas
TX
1,341,075
Review
2019
1
Review
Office of Independent Review
Fresno
CA
527,438
Advisory
2009
2
Review, Advisory
Office of Police Accountability
Seattle
WA
724,745
Investigative
2002
1
Investigative
Office of Police Complaints
Washington
DC
693,972
Investigative
1999
1
Investigative
Office of Police Conduct Review
Minneapolis
MN
422,331
Investigative
1990
1
Investigative
Office of Police Oversight
Boise
ID
226,570
Investigative
1999
2
Investigative, Review
Office of Police Oversight
Austin
TX
950,715
Review
2019
2
Review, Advisory
Office of Professional Standards
Cleveland
OH
385,525
Investigative
2008
1
Investigative
Office of Public Safety Accountability
Sacramento
CA
501,901
Review
1999
1
Review
Office of the Chief Investigator
Detroit
MI
673,104
Investigative
1
Investigative
Office of the Independent Monitor
Denver
CO
704,621
Review
2004
1
Review
Office of the Independent Police Auditor
San Jose
CA
1,035,317
Review
1993
1
Review
Office of the Inspector General for Public Safety
Seattle
WA
724,745
Audit
2017
3
Review, Audit, Advisory
Police Advisory Commission
Philadelphia
PA
1,580,863
Review
1958
2
Review, Appeals
Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission
St. Paul
MN
306,621
Review
1993
2
Review, Advisory
Police Commission
Oakland
CA
425,195
Supervisory
2016
1
Supervisory
Police Commission
San Francisco
CA
884,363
Supervisory
3
Adjudicative, Appeals, Supervisory
Police Complaints Board
Washington
DC
693,972
Review
1999
1
Review
Police Conduct Oversight Commission
Minneapolis
MN
422,331
Audit
1990
2
Audit, Advisory
Police Conduct Review Panel
Minneapolis
MN
422,331
Adjudicative
1990
1
Adjudicative
Police Merit Board
Indianapolis
IN
863,002
Supervisory
2007
1
Supervisory
Police Oversight Board
Albuquerque
NM
558,545
Review
2014
2
Review, Appeals
Police Review Board
Portland
OR
647,805
Adjudicative
2007
2
Review, Adjudicative
Police Review Board
Anaheim
CA
352,497
Advisory
2018
1
Advisory
Wichita Citizens Review Board
Wichita
KS
390,591
Review
2018
2
Review, Advisory