Executive Director, Community Police Review Agency (CPRA) (Continuous)

The City of Oakland is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of Executive Director to the Community Police Review Agency reporting to the Oakland Police Commission.

ORGANIZATION

The language of Measure LL – Establishing the Oakland Police Commission, approved by Oakland voters in November 2016, can be found here.

The purpose of the Police Commission is to oversee the Oakland Police Department's policies, practices and customs to meet national standards of constitutional policing and to oversee the Community Police Review Agency that investigates police misconduct and recommends discipline. The Police Commission is comprised of seven regular and two alternate members. All commissioners are Oakland residents and serve in a volunteer capacity.

The City of Oakland is currently recruiting for the Community Police Review Agency (CPRA) Executive Director who shall be hired by the City Administrator from among two (2) or three (3) candidates submitted by the Police Commission. The Executive Director is responsible for planning, developing and implementing all functions and activities of the CPRA, including effective responsiveness to the public and other client needs; implementing goals and objectives and ensuring the enforcement of applicable laws, ordinances and regulations; preparing and presenting reports to the Oakland Police Commission, the Mayor, the City Council, the Chief of Police and other boards and commissions on activities. The CPRA is responsible for the prompt and impartial investigation of civilian complaints of police misconduct or failure to perform a duty.

REPORTING STRUCTURE

The Executive Director receives direction from the Oakland Police Commission and makes decisions critically affecting the diverse functions of the Community Police Review Agency; manages organizational changes; and provides direction to Senior Investigators who are responsible for day-to-day supervision of the investigators in the Community Police Review Agency. Reporting to the Oakland Police Commission, the Executive Director functions at an executive management level, and is responsible for all functions and activities of the Community Police Review Agency. The Executive Director is responsible for accomplishing departmental goals and objectives within policy guidelines for major functional areas assigned and for special programs.

This position is exempt from the regulations of the Civil Service Board, pursuant to the Oakland Charter 902(f).  
 

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Direct the development and implementation of the Community Police Review Agency's goals, policies, and strategic plans; manage the allocation of resources and service levels to meet client needs. Manage a variety of full-scale investigations relating to constituent and complaints of alleged police officer misconduct. Ensure investigations are fair, thorough, complete and nonbiased.
• Oversee the operation of the Community Police Review Agency's operations, activities and programs; set objectives and monitor the performance of subordinate staff engaged in defined activities.
• Assign cases to complaint investigators according to procedures and case jurisdiction, review and approve preliminary case work; prepare full investigative reports. Set investigative standards for subordinate staff; and update the Community Police Review Agency policies, procedures, and operations. Review and evaluate the results of investigations.
• Recruit, orient, manage, evaluate, and provide train for all subordinate staff and the Oakland Police Commission and other assigned staff consistent with the CPRA mission and goals.
• As required by caseload volume or special circumstances, intake investigations and prepare appropriate reports.
• Serve as a liaison with Oakland Police Department Personnel on Investigations. Establish program evaluation benchmarks and deliverables.
• Monitor the organizational structure, staff assignments, service levels, and administrative systems required to accomplish the Community Police Review Agency's mission and objectives in an efficient and effective manner; direct the identification and analysis of opportunities for service enhancements. Assign cases to Complaint Investigators according to procedures and case jurisdiction; review and approve preliminary casework; prepare full investigative reports.
• Prepare, review and coordinate the preparation of a wide variety of full reports for presentation to the Oakland Police Commission, City Council or any of its committees, the City Administration, or outside agencies.
• Oversee the operation of the Office Assistants activities and programs; set objectives, supervise the Office Assistant I and II, and monitor the performance of subordinate staff engaged in define activities. Represent the CPRA and serve as a CPRA advocate at conferences and a variety of community meetings with the public which may include youth, parents, and community organizations and partners.
• Create, and implement direct programs to increase public visibility of the CPRA and the complaint process in the community and within the Community Police Review Agency.
• Direct the development and implementation of the operational budget; monitors expenditures to ensure adherence to the approved budget.
• Develop statistical, quarterly and annual reports to present to the Oakland Police Commission.
• Meet and collaborate with the Chief of Police, Oakland Police Commission, and Oakland City Administration on policy issues and disciplinary matters.
• Coordinate the meet and confer process with the Chief of Police and City Administrator, and the Oakland Police Commission in matters related to the CPRA under the memorandum of understanding with the Oakland Police Officers' Association or any other impacted labor group.
• Review legislation, court cases (such as Copley) and legal opinions relevant to the work of the CPRA; present testimony during court proceedings.
• Secure and maintain highly confidential information, records, and files.
• Keep the Oakland Police Commission apprised of CPRA activities for successful conjunction of duties under the CPRA ordinance.

No current or former sworn employee of the Oakland Police Department, or current official employee or representative of an employee association representing sworn police officers, is eligible for any staff position in the CPRA or the Police Commission.

The following qualifications are guidelines, as the appointing authority has discretion in filling positions in exempt classifications.

Education:
A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, an undergraduate major or an advanced degree in a field directly related to public administration, criminal justice or law is preferred.

Experience:
A minimum of two (2) years supervisory experience; and five (5) years of progressively responsible experience conducting civil, criminal or factual investigations that involved gathering, analyzing and evaluating evidence, conducting interviews with a variety of witnesses, and documenting information in written form. Applicable experience would include: criminal investigations conducted for a law enforcement or prosecuting agency; criminal defense investigations in the public sector; investigation of allegations of misconduct or ethical violations (especially involving public officials or police officers); investigations conducted in connection with litigation or hearings conducted by a government agency; personnel investigations; investigations related to abuse of civil or human rights and investigations and audits of fraud or abuse.

Possession of a law degree from an accredited law school may be substituted for two years of investigative experience described above.
 

CORE COMPETENCIES

Investigations

• Federal, state, and local rules and regulations pertaining to civilian oversight of law enforcement, modern management and financial principles and practices.
• Procedures for conducting civil, criminal or factual investigations that involve gathering, analyzing and procedures for evaluating evidence.
• Conducting interviews with witnesses and documenting information in written form.

Leadership

• Experience showing integrity, professionalism, sound judgment and independence.
• Direct, supervise, and train subordinate staff engaged in investigations.
• Implement investigative procedures and standards consistent with best practices for civilian oversight agencies to ensure that investigations are fair, prompt, and unbiased.

Community Relations 

• Criminal justice procedures, investigative techniques, and issues involving police and civilian oversight practices and police-community relations.
• Restorative justice and knowing the civil rights of community.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with community leaders and organizations, businesses, staff, and others contacted in the performance of duties.

Community Engagement 

• Knowledge of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations.
• Ability to apply racial, ethnic and cultural appropriate strategies for effectively engaging most hard-to-reach and disenfranchised communities.

Management

• Exercise administrative ingenuity, independent analysis, adaptability and judgment on highly specialized investigations with difficult, complicated choices of action.
• Organizational and management practices and methods, including goal setting; program development, evaluation, and implementation; budget development; and personnel management.
• Direct research, survey techniques and statistical methods.
• Apply the principles and practices of public administration, financial and personnel management.
• Clearly interpret all applicable laws, ordinances and codes.
• Plan, conduct and supervise complex and difficult investigations, including those involving serious allegations of misconduct (such as officer involved shootings and in custody deaths), investigations involving large number of complaints, witnesses or officers, high profile investigations and those involving multiple law enforcement agencies or significant policy issues.
• Train, advise, motivate and mentor new and veteran investigators on an individual level and though a formal and ongoing training program.
• Review the work of investigators to ensure that the investigation is thorough and the factual findings and analyses are sound.
• Maintain commitment to civilian oversight of law enforcement.

Executive Presence / Communication 

• Make recommendations and present them effectively to commissions, boards, committees, other agencies and public.
• Communicate effectively with subordinates, the Oakland Police Commission, other city employees, the general public, members of civic organizations, or other agencies.
• Provide guidance in a calm, effective manner in crisis situations.
• Set an example of professionalism, ethical conduct, and commitment to a quality work product.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with the Community Police Review Agency staff, members of the Oakland Police Department, the Oakland Police Commission, elected and appointed officials, government managers, and members of the diverse communities served by the office of Community Police Review Agency and the Oakland Police Department.
• Ability to engender confidence internally and externally through clear communication, credibility and leadership.

LICENSE OR CERTIFICATE / OTHER REQUIREMENTS
The incumbent in this position is expected to operate automotive vehicles in the performance of assigned duties. An individual appointed to this position will be required to maintain a valid California Driver's License throughout the tenure of employment.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Proficiency in a second language is highly desirable.