If the city of Cincinnati is looking for an expert on police oversight, it need not look very far.
Mark Gissiner is president of the International Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement. He also is a full-time employee in the city personnel department.
"The guy is in contact with people all around the world," said Samuel Walker, professor of criminal justice at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. The International Association has hundreds of members worldwide, he said.
Mr. Gissiner has been instrumental in setting up oversight systems in Orange County, Fla., San Diego County, Calif., Minneapolis and Memphis, Tenn. He has consulted in South Africa, Belgium and China about models.
"A component in each of those models was independent investigations beginning at the intake process," Mr. Gissiner said. "Throughout the world, those oversight bodies that have independent investigatory processes are the most successful from a public perception standpoint. I know those models are more credible with the community."
Mr. Gissiner became involved with police oversight during the 10 years he worked in the city's Office of Municipal Investigation (now the Office of Contract Compliance and Investigations). He has been on the board of the international association since 1991 and became president in 1995.
He said his work on police oversight always has been done for other communities. He has never been asked to develop a model for Cincinnati.
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