Recent events have underscored the commitment by the Office of Police Complaints (OPC), which is governed by the Police Complaints Board (PCB), to expand local and international outreach efforts. Together, OPC and PCB form the District of Columbia’s police accountability agency.
During an event on March 17, 2009, OPC facilitated a community forum on police accountability and oversight, in partnership with the University of the District of Columbia’s (UDC) Criminal Justice Administration program. More than 60 people attended the forum, which included students, faculty, and staff.
UDC Visiting Professor and Police Complaints Board (PCB) member Margaret Moore, OPC’s Executive Director Philip K. Eure, and OPC Chief Investigator Kesha Taylor provided information and took questions on the agency’s process for investigating and resolving police misconduct complaints.
A few days earlier, on March 13, 2009, OPC hosted a federal prosecutor and state judge from Pernambuco, Brazil, as part of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership program. During that session, OPC staff discussed the authority of the agency and the role of police oversight agencies throughout the United States.
According to the State Department, the International Visitor Leadership Program arranges for current or potential leaders in government, the media, education, business, and other fields to meet and confer with their professional counterparts in the United States to examine issues in their respective fields.
“We take seriously our obligation to inform the public here in Washington of our agency’s mission and process for filing complaints against the police,” said Eure. “Because of our experiences, we are honored that the US State Department also calls on us occasionally to speak with representatives of other countries wishing to learn more about how police oversight works in Washington and throughout the United States.”
If you or your organization are interested in arranging a speaker to attend an event, or if you wish to obtain materials about the agency, please contact OPC’s public affairs specialist, Nykisha Cleveland, at (202) 727-3838.
For additional information about OPC and its community outreach program, visit our website at policecomplaints.dc.gov