Police Oversight

Meet the HRC Administration of Justice Subcommittee

The HRC has several standing committees, including the Administration of Justice Subcommittee (AOJ), comprised of 5 independent members who actively work with the Police Department on matters of concern to the Commission, such as:

• The tracking of complaints against the SCPD;
• Incidents involving the use of undue force;
• The Internal Affairs Bureau complaint process;
• Policies and procedures regarding the designation of a "hate crime" to incidents involving bias;
• The recording of racial data on stops and searches; and
• Increasing minority representation in the police service.

Administration of Justice Civilian Review Mission Statement

In 2021, the Suffolk County Executive’s office authored a Police Reform and Reinvention Plan approved by the Suffolk County Legislature. The Plan and legislation designated the Administration of Justice Committee (AOJ) of the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission (SCHRC) to provide real-time independent oversight of investigations of alleged Suffolk County Police Department officer misconduct. Serving as an independent civilian oversight body, the AOJ will monitor the review conducted by Human Rights Commission Investigators of Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) investigations into complaints of police misconduct, supporting the establishment of greater policing transparency for the community.

Subcommittee Members are:

• Curtis E. Highsmith, Jr.
• Carolyn G. Peabody, Ph.D.
• Gary Mar
• Rabbi Lina Zerbarini
• Luis E. Rodriguez, Esq.

Administration of Justice’s Police Misconduct Civilian Review Process Goals

In Civilian Review, the Administration of Justice Committee focuses on four objectives:

1. Provide an independent, third-party review of complaints filed against Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) officers to ensure that civil and human rights have been protected;
2. Solicit community feedback and input regarding the public’s experiences and interactions with the SCPD via community engagement and outreach efforts;
3. Actively provide the community with pertinent information about the SCPD Internal Affairs investigation process and outcomes; and
4. Monitor progress made in fostering positive relationships between the SCPD and the public of Suffolk County, providing feedback and insights on emerging progress and/or problems to the County Executive and Legislature.

Each of the aforementioned objectives will be achieved through the following delineated activities:

1. Provide an independent, third-party review of the investigation of complaints, brought against the SCPD to ensure that civil and human rights have been protected;
   • Ensure that SCHRC Investigators and AOJ Commission members are trained by independent experts in civilian oversight;
   • Ensure that SCHRC Investigators and AOJ Commission members are trained in the use of the online application that is to be used to document ongoing investigations as well as to receive the training that officers will receive for use of body-worn cameras.
   • Ensure that SCHRC Investigators and AOJ Commission members are fully informed about the policies and procedures of the IAB to provide effective oversight;
   • Review evidence, including testimony, associated with alleged incidents;
   • Request IAB Investigators to explore specific additional steps in a given investigation, such as witness queries, investigative areas, etc., should SCHRC Investigators and/or SCHRC-AOJ Commissioners consider such actions as necessary to fully inform the decisions made in given investigations of alleged police misconduct; and
   • Independently issue recommendations on complaints of misconduct.
2. Solicit community feedback and input regarding the public’s experiences and interactions with the SCPD via community engagement and outreach efforts;
   • Conduct community meetings, especially with underserved communities, seeking input and feedback on the communities’ experiences with police; and
3. Actively provide the community with timely information about the investigation process and outcomes;
   • Conduct community meetings, especially with underserved communities, detailing the work of the County’s current efforts towards civilian oversight of IAB investigations; and
   • Develop and undertake information sharing initiatives (e.g., social media; downloadable brochures; printed brochures) to bring visibility and ensure transparency in both the process and outcomes of IAB investigations.
4. Monitor progress in relations between the SCPD and the residents of Suffolk County, providing feedback and insights to the County Executive and Legislature on progress and/or problems that emerge;
   • Track key data points relevant to outcomes of police misconduct investigations and community relations;
   • Collect qualitative responses from Suffolk County community members related to their experience of the Police Department and of the IAB investigation process; and
   • Issue periodic reports related to data collected.

The County Executive Police Accountability Liaisons

Police Accountability Liaisons of the County Executive’s Office serve to

• Coordinate efforts necessary to the implementation and operations of Civilian Review
• Facilitate conversations between members of the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), SCPD Internal Affairs Bureau, and Human Rights Commission to resolve discrepancies in decisions and bolster collaboration
• Keep the County Executive apprised of Civilian Review progress and operations

In 2021, the role of Police Accountability Liaison was added to the regular duties of Deputy County Executives Vanessa Baird-Streeter and Jon Kaiman. Both Baird-Streeter and Kaiman served as Co-Chairs of the Suffolk County Police Reform & Reinvention Task Force, and have over 60 years of public service experience between them.

Community Meetings

To be scheduled

Click here for the 2023-2024 Civilian Police Oversight Annual Report