Director of Investigations

About the role

The Director of Investigations for the Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) is a critical role within CPOC’s leadership team. The Director of Investigations leads the Investigations Division which is responsible for investigating specific allegations of misconduct by Philadelphia Police officers, monitoring ongoing investigations at PPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, responding in real time to police shootings, and advising CPOC’s leadership on serious uses of force by PPD officers.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement standard operating procedures for the Investigations Division using established oversight practices and investigative expertise.
• Ensure the Investigations Division meets all reporting requirements listed in the authorizing legislation.
• Direct and conduct complex and high-level investigations relating to policing, police operations, misconduct incidents, and other related topics.
• Regularly report to CPOC Executive Director regarding investigations, development of division benchmarks, and all investigative operations.
• Manage a team of investigators as the Investigations Division grows; the size of the Investigations Division may grow to potentially dozens of investigators as agency operations expand.
• Develop and execute investigator training program to ensure all investigators receive proper training on CPOC procedures and PPD procedures.
• Review investigations, case files, reports, and other work products upon completion to ensure that all appropriate steps have been taken and the findings match the evidence and information presented.
• Work with CPOC executive team to help develop and implement complaint intake processes; sensitively conduct complaint intake and related contacts with complainants/residents as needed.
• Represent CPOC’s interests and positions before PPD leadership, labor officials, and arbitration panels.
• Develop, assign, and manage high-level investigative projects through communication with other CPOC staff about current work, communication with sources at the Philadelphia Police Department, and other sources.
• Act as project lead for critical incident reviews of uses of force, large-scale events, and other matters as directed by Executive Director; delegate tasks as needed.
• Conduct interviews of complainants and civilian witnesses about police incidents that are the subject of civilian complaints against police, and other matters; conduct criminal investigations as need arises.
• Gather evidence through canvassing for witnesses, seeking out video footage, and other means; obtain and review documentary evidence related to incidents under investigation, including medical records, reports related to forensic analysis, and other police reports and documents.
• Interview police personnel as subjects and witnesses of complaints with union representation present; interview police personnel related to other administrative matters and to establish facts for investigative projects.
• Draft and edit reports of investigation, interview summaries, recommendations, and other materials related to investigations.
• Analyze facts of investigations against police policies and legal standards to make logically sound recommendations about whether misconduct occurred.
• Diligently track all investigative work using a case management system; maintain a thorough and organized record of investigative actions for each investigation and investigative project.
• Identify and report on policy and tactics issues and potential large-scale policy projects as they arise in investigative work.
• Maintain a high degree of knowledge of PPD policies, rules, and practices.
• Seek out and participate in professional groups and trainings to maintain awareness of best practices related to community-police relations, civilian oversight of police, and police reform nationally.
• Mentor and train non-investigative CPOC staff on investigative techniques and practices, interviewing techniques, case management, and law enforcement procedures as needed.
• Collaborate across CPOC units to assist with projects as they are executed by other staff.
• Coordinate closely with the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director to carry out the functions of the Commission.
• Adjudicate discipline cases and make disciplinary recommendations as a rotating member of the PPD Police Board of Inquiry.
• Provide guidance to the CPOC executive team, as needed, regarding best practices and trends in community-police relations and police reform nationally and locally.
• Help to maintain transparency between the Commission, the Police Department, elected officials, and the public.
• Receive training on PPD procedures, policies, and discipline code.
• Aid in the preparation of an annual report setting out the Commission’s accomplishments, reports, and activities.
• Appear before the media to provide information and analysis at the direction of the Executive Director.

Qualifications

• Minimum Education Required: College degree.
• Extensive experience and expertise with investigations.
• Knowledge of best practices from police oversight agencies around the country.
• Knowledgeable of legal issues surrounding policing and police department procedures.
• Ability to manage a team of individuals and coach them through complex investigations and projects.
• Ability to manage an investigation from start to finish with focus, organization, persistence, and flexibility; ability to effectively conduct a caseload of multiple investigations concurrently.
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to evaluate investigations to ensure fact-finding is thorough and conclusions are sound.
• Deep knowledge of legal issues surrounding policing and police department procedures, and ability to train others on established and emergent legal issues, including: constitutional limitations on policing, PPD directives, PPD’s disciplinary process, collective bargaining procedures, and labor union rights.
• Willingness to be exposed to sensitive and complex situations involving police misconduct and internal affairs.