ACLU updates survey of 31 law enforcement agencies’ complaint procedures
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2016
LINCOLN, Neb – Today the ACLU of Nebraska released results from a 2016 survey of local law enforcement agencies’ civilian complaint procedures. The survey of 31 agencies was first conducted in 2014. According to the ACLU, since 2014 multiple agencies have improved their policies and practices with meeting the majority of best practices as identified by the Department of Justice and many more are making improvements towards adopting best practices.
“Our nation and our community are engaged in an important dialogue about police practices. One area that finds a great deal of agreement about police practices from law enforcement leaders and community advocates is surrounding civilian complaint procedures. Complaint procedures that are welcoming, accessible, and free from intimidation are necessary to ensure strong community relations,” said Danielle Conrad, Executive Director. “The ACLU of Nebraska commends the eight Nebraska law enforcement agencies that have adopted best practices as identified by the Department of Justice. These agencies are large and small and exist in every corner of our state. Their good work serves as a sound model for other agencies in Nebraska. We encourage other law enforcement agencies, like the Nebraska State Patrol, which seems to have moved backwards in meeting best practices in this area, to adopt policies and practices that ensure openness and accountability.”
One of the agencies that met the Department of Justice guidelines was the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, led by Sheriff Timothy Dunning.
“Public trust with the community we serve is vital to the success of every law enforcement agency,” said Dunning. “An open and transparent complaint process is central to building and maintaining that trust, and it reinforces accountability within the agency. As an accredited agency, we proactively evaluate our policies and procedures and make changes that reflect national best practices.”
To read the full survey results: https://aclunebraska.org/civiliancomplaints
