NEWARK – Udi Ofer, the executive director of the ACLU of New Jersey, welcomes the decision by Mayor Cory Booker to create a civilian complaint review board in Newark. Booker is expected to formally announce the plan at the “State of the City” address this evening.
“The ACLU-NJ is encouraged that Newark is considering a civilian complaint review board," said Ofer. “An effective civilian review board must have independent subpoena authority, the ability to discipline police officers who are found to engage in misconduct (after having been afforded a fair opportunity to contest the finding), a budget that is adequate to provide for effective investigations and that grows as the police force grows, a process that is open to the public, and a membership that is composed of individuals who have expertise in police practices and civil rights law.
“In other words, an effective civilian review board must have real power, real transparency, and real funding to be able to provide for real accountability,” Ofer said. “We look forward to working with Mayor Booker, the City Council, and Police Director DeMaio to bring the best model to Newark.”
