Law enforcement agencies in Clark and Skamania Counties seek non-law enforcement community members to serve on the new Independent Investigation Team (IIT).
This posting is for the position of Independent Investigation Team (IIT) Non-Law Enforcement Community Representative.
Position Overview and Summary:
With the passage of Washington State Initiative 940 in November 2018 and SHB 1064 in 2019, incidents where the use of deadly force by a peace officer results in death, substantial bodily harm, or great bodily harm require an independent investigation. The independent investigation is conducted in the same manner as a criminal investigation and state law now requires an "independent investigation" completely independent of the involved agency.
The goal of this requirement is to enhance accountability and increase trust between law enforcement and the community to improve the legitimacy of policing for an increase in safety for everyone.
The Independent Investigative Team (IIT) will consist of a team of qualified and certified peace officer investigators and at least two non-law enforcement community representatives who operate completely independent of any involved agency to conduct investigations of police deadly force incidents.
The IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community Representatives should have credibility with, and ties to, the communities impacted by the police use of deadly force. Representatives selected will participate directly in the vetting, interviewing, and/or selection of IIT certified law enforcement investigators, media communications, and use of involved agency equipment requests.
This position will require the community representative to pass a department/agency background check and attend identified training that is relevant to officer involved deadly force incidents. The Non-Law Enforcement Community Representative must sign a binding confidentiality agreement at the beginning of each police use of deadly force incident investigation.
This is a non-paid volunteer position.
Responsibilities of the Position Include:
- Participate in the selection of IIT certified law enforcement investigators.
- Understand and be knowledgeable of law enforcement department policy and applicable laws as they relate to the use of force and officer involved deadly force incidents.
- Attend agency sponsored training to maintain proficiency and basic understanding in the areas of de-escalation, use of force, and officer involved deadly force.
- Review and sign a conflict of interest statement.
- Attend officer involved use of deadly force briefings with the involved agency(ies) chief executive(s).
- Review or have access to the investigative file when completed
- Receive media communication(s) and press releases prior to their release.
- Review use of involved agency equipment requests.
Length of Commitment:
Length of commitment to this position is four (4) years. This commitment may be adjusted based upon the needs of the department/agency and the willingness to serve. The final decision on the length of the commitment will be decided by the Chief of Police and/or Sheriff.
Supervision Received and/or Exercised:
The IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community Representative will work with the assigned leadership team (commander, assistant commander, or co-commander) on each assigned officer use of deadly force incident.
Hours of Commitment:
The hours for this position will vary depending on the incident dynamics and the time and location of briefings, meetings, and identified training classes. IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community Representatives may be subject to call at various and unpredictable hours to include weekends and holidays.
Minimum Qualifications:
The following are the minimum qualifications for the position of IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community Representative. At the time of application, the applicant shall:
- Be a Clark or Skamania County, Washington resident.
- Be able to pass a background check. (See background and disqualifier information below)
- Be able to maintain a confidentiality agreement with each deadly force investigation.
- Attend identified training as it relates to the assigned position.
- Have the skills, knowledge, and abilities to effectively perform the duties and responsibilities of the position of IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community Representative.
- Have the ability to meet the time and commitments required of an IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community Representative position.
The background check will consist of the criteria used by the Vancouver Police Department for Volunteers. Here is the link to the disqualifiers: https://www.cityofvancouver.us/sites/default/files/fileattachments/police_vpd/page/36625/volunteer_disqualifiers_final_10-04-17.pdf
Essential Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:
The following skills, knowledge, and abilities are essential to be successful in the position of IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community Representative:
- Have the ability to learn and understand police use of force policy and laws.
- Strong oral and written communication skills and the ability to interact effectively with members of police/sheriff agencies, and community.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and sign a binding confidentiality agreement for each police use of deadly force incident investigation.
- Ability to make sound and well informed decisions.
- Maintain high standards of ethics and integrity.
- Ability to minimize and resolve conflicts in a tactful and effective manner.
Training:
The IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community Representative selected for the position will be required to attend relevant training related to the position, which will be provided at no expense.
How to Apply:
Interested, qualified applicants may submit the application materials listed below electronically to vanpd@cityofvancouver.us (the Vancouver Police Department is participating as the central point of collection for any electronic applications for the Non-Law Enforcement Community Representative IIT applications). Interested, qualified applicants may also drop off materials to their local law enforcement agency during regular business hours. Application materials must be received by March 31, 2020. Application materials received after the deadline – even if the delay is caused by computer servers – will not be considered.
Application materials must consist of:
A letter of interest including a narrative identifying what the applicant believes his/her particular strengths and challenges would be in the position of IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community Representative. Letters of interest should be no longer than two pages.
An up-to-date resume including experience, applicable training and qualifications.
Selection Process:
Following the closing date for this recruitment, a selection process will be administered. Qualified applicants will be notified of the date, time and place for the selection process. This recruitment/selection process will be used to establish a ranked list of qualified candidates.
This announcement is meant only as a general descriptive recruitment guide.
It does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract and is not a complete description of the job.