ABSTRACT
Background ........................................................................................................... 96 General Views on the Best Agency to Investigate Complaints ..................... 100 Police Views Limited to Civilian Review ........................................................ 102 Police Experiences of Complaint Investigations ............................................ 104
Police-Dominated Systems ........................................................................... 104 Mixed Systems................................................................................................ 106 Independent Systems .................................................................................... 109
Informal Resolution and Mediation .................................................................111 Informal Resolution .......................................................................................111 Mediation .........................................................................................................112
Discussion ............................................................................................................114 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................115 References .............................................................................................................116
In 1997, in the United States, two police union leaders and a political consultant published a book titled Police Association Power, Politics, and Confrontation: A Guide for the Successful Police Labor Leader. ere was little in the book on civilian oversight of police, except for the inclusion of a case study of union action in challenging moves toward oversight. In one chapter, “e 1992 Police Civilian Review Board Controversy in San Jose,” the pastpresident of the San Jose Police Ocers’ Association described how his union fought down moves by the local Bar Association, a student group, and other activists to introduce a civilian review board in the wake of the Rodney King beating in Los Angeles and mounting concerns about police violence in the United States (Fehr, 1997). e proposal was for a board that would investigate excessive force complaints, hold open hearings, and have subpoena powers to compel testimony by ocers.
