Services

PARC Services

Professionals engaged in police oversight and city and police leaders seeking to institute reforms can benefit greatly from PARC’s expertise. PARC can help oversight professionals, city and county officials, police leaders, jail administrators, community and civil rights groups, and business owners by:

assessing and strengthening citizen oversight agencies;
implementing or reviewing early warning systems;
evaluating use-of-force incidents, including supervision, tactics, and subsequent investigations;
assessing internal police investigations;
helping police leaders develop and implement management strategies that promote accountability at all levels;
assisting police and city officials responsible for complying with consent decrees or memoranda of agreement to implement reforms;
supporting monitors in assessing compliance with settlements requiring reforms;
tracking community satisfaction with particular police agencies;
putting a department’s practices and policies in context by comparing them with those of similar jurisdictions;
recommending practices and policies to one jurisdiction by providing examples of successes in similar jurisdictions elsewhere;
exploring a department’s exposure to litigation and developing procedures to learn from past lawsuits;
identifying steps to take to avoid federal “pattern or practice” inquiries;
helping police and sheriff’s departments manage the risk of misconduct in the jails they operate; and
providing expert services and advice to businesses on racial profiling, false arrest, and relevant topics.

Examples of Services Provided by PARC:

In 2002, PARC was hired by the City of Portland to conduct a review of officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths that had occurred in the city. The comprehensive report included detailed findings, and 89 recommendations, regarding the Portland Police Bureau’s training, tactics, policies, investigations, and review of deadly force cases. Following the release of PARC’s initial report in August 2003, Portland retained PARC to conduct five follow-up reports over a five-year period that would review subsequent officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths, as well as to track implementation of the initial report’s recommendations. According to Portland Police Chief Derrick Foxworth: “Overall, it was painful at first for the organization [the Portland Police Bureau], but it was good.... [I]t pushed us to change. Sometimes, you need that outside audit from someone with a fresh perspective looking at the organization.” (Denver Post, March 17, 2005)
In the Town of Wallkill (New York), PARC served from 2001 to 2006 as staff to the court-appointed monitor, Providence Police Chief Dean Esserman, assessing Wallkill’s compliance with a consent decree requiring reforms. PARC has established a close working relationship with the Wallkill police chief who has relied upon PARC’s expertise to help him comply with the consent decree. Police Chief Robert Hertman has stated, “I’ve worked closely with PARC staff and value the group’s expertise, neutrality, and practical recommendations. Without their help, turning around the department would have been much more difficult.” The Wallkill Town Board retained PARC in 2006 to continue to monitor the police department on a voluntary basis following the conclusion of the consent decree.
Working on two separate projects with two unrelated corporations, PARC helped their managements to take steps to avoid possible liability in relation to the businesses’ security policies and practices. PARC assisted with the crafting of better approaches to avoid the reality or perception of racial profiling of customers.
In Eugene (Oregon), PARC was hired by the city’s police commission to produce a report identifying different types of civilian police oversight models around the country for consideration by the commission and city leaders. PARC produced a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive report identifying the positive and negative aspects of the oversight models. In November 2005, Eugene residents voted to change the current oversight system and adopt a hybrid model that includes a police auditor and a citizen review board.

Consistent with its nonprofit status, PARC’s fees are moderate and reasonable.

For more information about PARC’s services and how PARC can help you, please contact Executive Director Merrick Bobb at merrickbobb@parc.info

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