Attachment #1

2002 Request for Applications

Request for Applications

INDEPENDENT POLICE AUDITOR

The City of Olympia, WA, is seeking qualified applicants for an important and challenging new
contract position - Police Auditor.

The City: Olympia, the capital city of Washington State, is located at the southernmost tip of the
Puget Sound on the I-5 corridor, midway between Seattle and Portland, OR. The City has 42,000
full-time residents, but, because it is home to many State offices and a major commercial, cultural
and recreational center for southwest Washington, the work day population regularly exceeds
100,000.

In recent years, the City has developed a reputation for leadership and innovation in law
enforcement. The nationally-acclaimed policing chapter of the Olympia Comprehensive Plan;
“Policing the Olympia Way” - the City’s creative approach to community policing; and completion
of a police accountability study that was motivated by desire to improve rather than response to a
crisis are all examples of the City’s commitment to provide the highest quality law enforcement
service to the community and to contribute to the growth and development of the police profession.

The Position: In the work done to develop the policing part of the Comprehensive Plan, it was
identified that the internal systems used to investigate complaints about the police, while inherently
sound, are viewed with skepticism by a significant number of people in the community. The
subsequent police accountability study recommended a number of areas where administration of the
complaint investigation process should be improved, and system changes were made to address
those recommendations. The study also affirmed that the integrity of the police accountability
system was good, but still lacked legitimacy in some segments of the community.

The City Council and the Police Department understand that no system of professional
accountability in a field as controversial as policing has true, universal legitimacy. However, we are
convinced that, in Olympia, system legitimacy can be significantly improved with the addition of an
external review element. After examining a number of approaches to external review, the Council
determined that an audit, clearly independent of the internal process and conducted by a person with
broad credibility in the community (a Police Auditor), is both an effective and fiscally responsible
way to achieve the desired results.

The Police Auditor position is mandated by ordinance, and is directly advisory to the City Council.
The position is a part-time, professional services contract post. Given the fact that the Olympia
Police Department historically has few complaints, the annual work load for this contract should be
less than 100 hours.

The Duties: The Police Auditor is charged with auditing the internal investigation process in all
cases in which it is alleged that the police used excessive or unnecessary force, committed a civil
rights violation or were biased. The Auditor also reviews a minimum of 25% of all other
investigations relating to complaints about police service or conduct.
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2002 Request for Applications

The Police Auditor position is focused on enhancing system legitimacy by independently and
objectively validating internal processes. The Auditor is not responsible for receiving or processing
complaints, hearing appeals or conducting independent investigations. The Police Auditor is
contracted to do the following tasks:

1. Using a confidential and anonymous review process, audit police internal investigations to
determine if they meet the standard of being complete, thorough, objective and fair.

2. Assess whether internal investigations comply with City and Department policies and time
lines.

3. Refer internal investigation cases back to the Chief of Police when additional work is needed
to meet the required standard.

4. Recommend improvements to policy and procedure based on audit results.

5. Communicate findings in a mid-year and an annual report to the City Council.

Desired qualifications: The City Council encourages applicants with a law degree or an advanced
degree in a relevant social science and the following personal characteristics, skills and abilities to
apply:

1. A history of exemplary personal and professional conduct and integrity;

2. Ability to establish a broad base of credibility in the community;

3. Knowledge of and experience with contemporary investigative techniques;

4. Knowledge of labor law as applied to public safety employees;

5. Excellent written and oral communications skills; and

6. Facility with basic social science statistical analysis techniques.

Special requirements: Applicants are not required to work or live in Olympia, but attending
meetings with City Council and City staff in Olympia will be required, and the cost involved with
such attendance is a consideration in selecting the successful candidate.

The selection process: Applications will be accepted until May 24, 2002. Initial screening of
applications will be done by the City Council’s General Government Committee at it’s June 3, 2002,
meeting. Subsequent to that screening, a selected number of candidates will be invited to Olympia,
at a date to be determined, for a personal interview with the members of the General Government
Committee. At the personal interview, representatives of the two Police Department labor unions
(the Olympia Police Officers’ Guild and the Teamsters Union) and the community will be present
with the Committee members in an advisory capacity.
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2002 Request for Applications

Following the personal interviews, the Committee will recommend a candidate to the full Council
for approval. The recommended candidate will be expected to attend the City Council meeting in
July or August at which the Council considers his/her appointment, and should be prepared to
respond to inquiries about qualifications and approach to the position from the Council and the
public.

Once the Police Auditor is selected, the Council will authorize the City Attorney to negotiate a
professional services contract with the successful candidate. It is hoped that the selection process
and contract negotiations will be completed so the Police Auditor can commence duties by
September 1, 2002.

Application process: To apply, candidates are to submit the following materials:

1. A letter of interest that also summarizes your qualifications;

2. A current vita;

3. A statement describing how, as Police Auditor, you would approach building a base of
community and employee confidence in the Police Auditor position and function;

4. A statement describing what you believe is the appropriate relationship between the Police
Auditor and each of the following groups: 1) the community; 2) the City Council; 3) Police
Department management; and 4) Police Department employees.

5. A compensation proposal that includes, but is not limited to the following:

· The hourly rate you expect to receive for professional work (if different rates would
apply for different activities, itemize the applicable rates);

· Identification of other expenses associated with the position (materials, meals, travel,
overnight stays, etc.) for which you would expect the City to be financially
responsible.

Please forward application materials to: Cathy Raymond, Human Resources Director, City of
Olympia, P.O. Box 1967, Olympia, WA 98507-1967. Applications must be received no later than
5:00 PM on Friday, May 24, 2002.

Questions about the position or the City should be directed to: John Holmes, Personnel Analyst, at
(360)753-8308 / jholmes@ci.olympia.wa.us, or to Dick Machlan, Senior Planner at (360)753-8006 /
dmachlan@ci.olympia.wa.us.