(Washington, DC) – The Police Complaints Board (PCB), the governing body of the Office of Police Complaints (OPC), welcomes its newest member, Paul Ashton.  Ashton was sworn in today, following his appointment by Mayor Vincent C. Gray and confirmation by the D.C. Council.

Ashton is the Development & Research Associate at the Justice Policy Institute (JPI), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to “justice reform and promoting policies that improve the well-being of all communities.”  He has written several white papers for JPI, including Moving Toward a Public Safety Paradigm: A Roundtable Discussion on Victims and Criminal Justice Reform, Gaming the System, The Education of D.C., Rethinking the Blues, and Fostering Change.

Prior to joining JPI, Ashton worked as a sexual assault victim advocate, conducting research examining intimate partner violence in the  Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) community.  He also served on the policy committee of the Delaware HIV Consortium. 

Ashton currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Rainbow Response Coalition, a grassroots organization that works to heighten awareness of intimate partner violence among LGBTQ individuals.  He received his bachelor’s degree in Criminology from The Ohio State University and his master’s degree in Criminology from the University of Delaware.

“The PCB is looking forward to working with Mr. Ashton,” said Iris Chavez, PCB chair.  “We will greatly benefit from his extensive experience in public policy and advocacy work for the LGBTQ community.”

For more information on the PCB members and OPC, visit our website at www.policecomplaints.dc.gov.