Stand Up for Civilian Police Oversight in Hartford
07/15/26AN ORDINANCE AMENDING Article V, Division 5, Section 2-196 of the MUNICIPAL CODE OF HARTFORD to make Revisions to the Civilian Police Review Board
COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL, CITY OF HARTFORD
Introduced June 22, 2026 • Public Hearing July 20, 2026 7:00pm (Zoom only)
Be It Ordained by the Court of Common Council of the City of Hartford:
Sec. 2196. Established; composition; meetings; functions.
(a) Established. There is hereby established a Civilian Police Review Board to hear public complaints against sworn members of the Hartford Police Department. It is in the interest of Hartford residents and citizens, generally, and of the Hartford Police Department that investigations of complaints concerning misconduct by police officers involving members of the public be complete, thorough and impartial. These inquires must be conducted fairly and independently, and in such a manner that the public and the police department have confidence. An independent civilian complaint review board is hereby established, as a body comprised of voting members who are civilians. The Civilian Police Review Board shall have the authority to investigate allegations through the Inspector General, of police misconduct, concurrent to the Hartford Police Department's Internal Affairs Division review of a complaint, and to reach an independent judgment and to make findings and transmit them to the Police Chief and to the Mayor in connection therewith. Said review board shall be in the Office of Equity and Opportunity solely for the purpose of receiving administrative support and services [purposes only]. The Inspector General serves as an independent watchdog for the City of Hartford and reports directly and solely to the Civilian Police Review Board and is accountable only to the Board, ensuring the independence and impartiality essential to this position. The Inspector General is required to comply with the City’s employment policies, rules, and administrative procedures.
(b) Composition. The Civilian Police Review Board shall be comprised of nine (9) regular voting members and two (2) alternates who shall be regular voting members when they sit. The Mayor shall appoint eight (8) of the nine (9) regular members, pursuant to Section 2(d) of Chapter IV of the City Charter, no more than two (2) of whom may be nonresidents of the city, and the mayor shall appoint both of the alternates. The Commission on Human relations shall appoint one (1) member. Both alternates and the member appointed by the Commission on Human Relations shall be Hartford residents. The Board shall include a nonvoting member, appointed by the Mayor in accordance with these provisions, who is between the age of 18 and 26 years old and a resident of the City of Hartford. In nominating members of the CPRB, the Mayor shall give substantial weight to nominees recommended (a) by a majority of members of the Court of Common Council or (b) through any community recommendation process jointly established by the Mayor and the Court of Common Council by Resolution passed by Council and approved by the Mayor. At least one member or alternate shall be a person who has previously been justice involved, and justice involved shall be defined as an individual who has had prior interaction with the criminal justice system as a defendant.
Any such community recommendation process established shall seek to obtain recommendations from organizations representing various communities of interest, including but not limited to, organizations in the City advocating for criminal and social justice reform, neighborhood organizations, business and labor organizations, and organizations advocating for diversity and equality within the City. For any vacancy, no fewer than five recommended nominees will be provided to the mayor by the council or through the community recommendation process. If the mayor has been provided with five recommended nominees and does not select a nominee from that list, the mayor shall provide a public justification for such decision. If the Mayor has not been provided with five recommendations from the Court of Council or through the community recommendation process, the Mayor shall, in transmitting the name of a nominee to the City Council, provide the qualifications of the nominee as well as a list of the organizations from which the Mayor sought input and recommendations.
The Civilian Police Review Board shall rely upon the findings, and investigative reports of the Inspector General in making recommendations. In addition to other information and testimony of witnesses, the Inspector General shall have access to the same files and reports as the Hartford Police Department's Internal Affairs Division [as allowed by existing statues or requirements of law], as set forth in Section (f)(4) below. No civilian member of the Civilian Police Review Board shall be a current, former, or retired officer of the Hartford Police Department or any other law enforcement agency or employee of the City of Hartford, or an immediate family member of an officer of the Hartford Police Department or employee of the City of Hartford, as governed and defined by the City of Hartford Code of Ethics.
Members and alternates selected for the Civilian Police Review Board shall be chosen based on their experience and expertise in fields relevant to the charge of the Civilian Police Review Board. In making nominations to the board, strong consideration will be given to ensuring that the Board reflects the full diversity of the city of Hartford, including racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, and age.
The Police Chief shall designate one (1) nonvoting member and one (1) nonvoting alternate from the Hartford Police Department who shall be available to attend meetings of the Civilian Police Review Board, as requested by the board. The said designees, each to be of a rank of at least Lieutenant, shall have first undergone diversity and cultural sensitivity training. The designee shall be available to answer any questions the Board may have regarding Hartford Police Department rules, policies, and procedures.
Of the members initially appointed to the Civilian Police Review Board by the Mayor, four (4) shall be appointed for four (4) years each; three (3) shall be appointed for three (3) years each, and one (1) shall be appointed for a term of two (2) years. Thereafter each and all appointments shall be for a term of four (4) years. The two (2) alternates shall each be appointed for a four (4) year term. The nonvoting member of the Civilian Police Review Board shall be appointed for a term of two (2) years. The member appointed by the Commission on Human Relations shall serve for four (4) years. Each member shall serve until his/her successor is appointed and any member may be reappointed. Any member of the Civilian Police Review Board appointed by the Mayor may be removed for cause by the Mayor or by a two-thirds vote of the city council. Any member of the Civilian Police Review Board appointed by the Commission on Human Relations may be removed for cause by the Commission on Human Relations.
Any member of the Civilian Police Review Board who misses, without excuse or permission, three (3) consecutive meetings or four (4) meetings in a twelve (12) month period of the Civilian Police Review Board's regularly scheduled meetings shall be considered to have resigned. Any vacancy on the Civilian Police Review Board occasioned by resignation, death, inability to serve or removal of a member shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment by the Mayor within forty-five (45) calendar days of the date when the vacancy occurred.
The members and staff of the Civilian Police Review Board shall undergo training in the policies, procedures and directives of the Police Department relevant to their duties, including training relating to racial profiling. The Police Department and the Inspector General shall cooperate in the development and provision of such training.
(c) Jurisdiction. The Civilian Police Review Board shall investigate through the Inspector General citizen complaints against City of Hartford police officers filed with the Police Department or with the Civilian Police Review Board, concurrent to any investigation conducted by Police/Internal Affairs. Complaints may be filed directly with the Civilian Police Review Board, with the Police Department, with a Hartford 311 constituent services representative, or with community-based agencies, registered by the Civilian Police Review Board and the Police Department, and a list of such agencies receiving complaints shall be maintained and published on the City website. Each citizen complaint received by the Civilian Police Review Board, whether directly or from a community agency, shall be forwarded to the Police Department within three (3) business days. Complaints received by the Police Department shall be forwarded to the Civilian Police Review Board within three (3) business days. Every complaint, as soon as it is received by the Police Department or the CPRB, shall be given a case or tracking number and a time and date of filing, so that the complainant can be assured that the matter is addressed timely.
The Civilian Police Review Board shall have jurisdiction over citizen complaints against police officers related to, but not limited to, the following:
(1) Improper handling of citizen's property.
(2) False arrest; improper detention.
(3) Violation of the code of conduct.
(4) Excessive use of force.
(5) Civil rights violation.
(6) Illegal search and seizure.
(7) Failure to provide medical attention.
(8) Harassment.
(9) Racial profiling and/or use of racial or ethnic slurs/discriminatory language.
(10) Crime committed by police.
(11) Abuse of authority.
(12) Retaliation for filing a complaint.
(13) Filing a false report.
Allegations in a complaint of slow or poor service, discourteous attitude or use of profane language shall be investigated by Police/Internal Affairs and reported to the Office of Equity and Opportunity and the Civilian Police Review Board on a quarterly basis. [In cases in which an officer has had repeatedly been the subject of complaints for slow or poor service, discourteous attitude or use of profane language, based upon a vote of the Civilian Police Review Board, a full inspector general investigation may be required.]
The Civilian Police Review Board shall have the [right] authority, [to request] on its own motion [an investigation] to direct the Inspector General to conduct an investigation into [of] a public incident, subject to its jurisdiction as herein described, regardless of whether a formal complaint has been filed, when [the public interest may be served by so doing] it determines that such action serves the public interest [may be served by so doing].
[The Civilian Police Review Board shall also have the right, on its own motion, to initiate a complaint when the Civilian Police Review Board has a good faith belief that a specific incident of misconduct has occurred but no formal citizen complaint has been received, provided that complaints initiated by the Civilian Police Review Board shall not take priority over other civilian complaints.]
The Civilian Police Review Board, through the Inspector General, will provide training and information to community-based agencies regarding the citizen complaint process.
(d) Operations.
(1) The Mayor shall designate the chairperson of the Civilian Police Review Board, who shall be a City resident and serve a one-year term which may be extended by designation of the Mayor annually for no more than three (3) terms of one (1) year each. Annually, the Civilian Police Review Board shall elect a vice chairperson and a secretary. Said elections shall be by a quorum of the members at the meeting of the Civilian Police Review Board falling closest to the anniversary date of the previous election. The chairperson shall act as spokesperson for and as liaison between the Civilian Police Review Board and the mayor and the city. In the absence of the chairperson, the vice chairperson shall serve or act until a succeeding chairperson is appointed.
(2) The city shall provide [for] the Office of Equity and Opportunity with the requisite staff [assistance], supplies, equipment and facilities [to the Office of Equity and Opportunity in order to facilitate the administration of the Civilian Police Review Board business] necessary to enable it to provide administrative support to the Civilian Police Review Board and the Inspector General, in accordance with Section (a) above.
The Civilian Police Review Board will develop policies and procedures for the filing and processing of citizen complaints, for the operations of the Civilian Police Review Board and for training members of the Civilian Police Review Board and the community-based agencies.
(3) The meetings of the Civilian Police Review Board shall be open to the public, except that the Civilian Police Review Board may hold executive sessions in accordance with state law. Meetings of the Civilian Police Review Board shall be held in accordance with the provisions of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act.
(4) The meetings of the Civilian Police Review Board shall be held at sites away from the police stations.
(5) The Civilian Police Review Board shall meet monthly. A quorum of five (5) voting members is required to convene a regularly scheduled or specially called meeting and conduct business. All meeting minutes shall be posted to the City's website and also made available to the public at the Office of the Town and City Clerk.
(6) When sufficient cause exists, the Civilian Police Review Board may convene special meetings, in accordance with its policies and procedures and in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.
(7) The reports of the Inspector General associated with the Civilian Police Review Board shall be completed within forty-five (45) days from the date Internal Affairs substantially complies with its obligation to provide materials to the Inspector General, as set forth in Section (f)(4) below. For purposes of this subsection, “substantially complies” means that Internal Affairs has provided sufficient materials required under Section (f)(4) that permit the Inspector General to conduct a complete review. [the investigation is initiated]. If extenuating circumstances prevent the inspector general from being completed within forty-five (45) days, a request for additional time shall be submitted to the chair of the Civilian Police Review Board, who may grant additional time for the completion and submission of the investigation.
(8) At each meeting, the Civilian Police Review Board shall review pending citizen complaint cases; decide completed citizen complaint cases; and receive updates on its recommendations. All meeting minutes shall be posted to the City's website and also made available to the public at the Office of the Town and City Clerk.
(9) In the course of its investigation into citizen complaints [in appropriate circumstances] the Inspector General may take sworn testimony from witnesses concerning the alleged conduct which is the subject of the complaint. Any officer or member of the police department against whom a citizen complaint is filed may be required to attend and participate in an interview conducted by the Inspector General to the same extent as if summoned by Internal Affairs. To minimize inconvenience to such officers, the Inspector General shall, when practicable, coordinate interviews with Internal Affairs. If the Civilian Police Review Board, or the Inspector General upon their direction, subpoenas an officer or member of the Hartford Police Department pursuant to Section (f)(5) of this ordinance, as authorized by Connecticut General Statutes Section 7294aaa, to compel their attendance and require them to answer questions within the scope of the investigation, the officer or member of the Department shall be entitled to the same procedural and constitutional protections as if they had been called for questioning by Internal Affairs.
(10) Following the review of a citizen complaint and subsequent investigation by the Inspector General, the Civilian Police Review Board will determine whether or not the citizen complaint is sustained. The Civilian Police Review Board will promptly report its findings and determinations to the Police Chief. A copy of its determinations shall also be sent to the citizen complainant and to the relevant community based agencies, if applicable.
(11) The Chief of Police shall promptly review the findings and determinations of the Civilian Police Review Board and consider the recommendations of Internal Affairs. The Chief of Police shall not issue any findings and determinations on a citizen complaint until the Civilian Police Review Board’s findings and accompanying investigative report have been received. However, if sixty (60) days have elapsed since Internal Affairs submitted its report to the Chief and the Civilian Police Review Board has not provided their findings, or if the Mayor grants permission based on good cause, the Chief, after notifying the Board, may proceed without waiting for the Board’s determinations. In such instances, the Civilian Police Review Board may, upon completing its report, forward it to the Chief and request that the Chief reopen the investigation and take the Board’s findings into consideration. If the investigation is reopened, any consideration may not be used to alter any discipline that has already been issued.
The Chief of Police shall promptly notify the Civilian Police Review Board of their finding and determinations regarding a citizen complaint. Upon request by the Chair of the Civilian Police Review Board, any proposed action by the Chief that adopts findings and determinations that differ from the findings and determinations of the Civilian Police Review Board shall be the subject of review by an independent arbitrator, selected by the Chief of Police and the Chair of the Civilian Police Review Board from a list of qualified individuals approved by the selection panel established herein. In no event shall arbitration fail due to the unavailability of an arbitrator or the parties’ inability to agree upon one. In such a case, the parties will promptly meet with Corporation Counsel and make good faith efforts to identify and mutually select a qualified arbitrator to hear the matter.
(12) Upon request for review by an independent arbitrator, the Chair of the Civilian Police Review Board, or designee, and the Chief of Police, or designee, shall present their respective findings and recommendations during a hearing before the independent arbitrator [to the independent arbitrator their respective findings and recommendations.] At a minimum, the parties right to a hearing shall include the right to present all relevant evidence and materials, to make arguments in support of their respective positions, and submit posthearing briefs. The independent arbitrator, after reviewing all the facts, reports, findings and presentations, shall render a decision that either upholds the findings of the Chief of Police or upholds the findings of the Civilian Police Review Board. The decision of the arbitrator shall be reduced to writing and shall become a public document, subject to any redactions required by confidentiality statutes. The identities of any statutorily protected victim shall be kept confidential in all public facing documents. The decision by the arbitrator shall be final, and the Chief of Police shall proceed in conformance therewith. The independent arbitrator must be a retired state or federal judge, including a state referee, or a retired judge of probate. Such independent arbitrator may be entitled to a daily stipend for participating in a review.
(13) There is hereby established a standing selection committee consisting of the Council President or their designee, the Chief of Police, the Chair and one additional member of the Civilian Police Review Board, the president of the Hartford Police Union, the chair or a cochair of City Council's Quality of Life and Public Safety Committee, and the Inspector General, which shall generate a list of candidates qualified to serve as independent arbitrators established herein. To be eligible for inclusion on the list of qualified candidates, an individual must be a retired state or federal judge or state referee, or a retired judge of probate. The selection committee shall convene annually, or more frequently as needed, to update and maintain the list; maintaining at least five available qualified individuals at all times to hear arbitration cases.
(14) The Civilian Police Review Board shall make best efforts [will seek] to complete its review of every civilian complaint within ninety (90) days of receipt thereof, provided the Inspector General has received the relevant materials and documents from Internal Affairs in a timely manner, as set forth in Section (d)(7) of this ordinance. In the event that circumstances prevent the completion of a review of a civilian complaint with ninety (90) days, the Inspector General, on behalf of the Civilian Police Review Board, will submit written cause for the delay and reason(s) for the same to the office of the mayor and shall provide a copy to all members of the Court of Common Council.
(15) The Civilian Police Review Board may also make recommendations to the Office of the Mayor and City Council for revision of specific police department policies and procedures related to civilian complaint process.
(16) In cases in which a complaint against an officer has been sustained, either by the Chief of Police or by the Independent Arbitrator, the Chief of Police shall initiate the disciplinary process within fifteen days following the determination that the complaint has been sustained. The chief of police shall report to the Civilian Police Review Board that he or she has complied with this requirement within ten days of initiating the disciplinary process as required by this section.
In cases where the complaint against an officer is sustained by the independent arbitrator, the Chief of Police shall accept the arbitrator’s finding and may impose any disciplinary action he or she deems appropriate, without being bound by mandatory punishments specified under the Hartford Police Department’s Code of Conduct for such sustained violation.
(e) Accountability. The Civilian Police Review Board shall prepare an annual report to the office of the Mayor and the Court of Common Council indicating:
(1) The type and number of complaints filed,
(2) The number and identity of police officer(s) complained against and the number and identity of police officer(s) and members of the police department against whom multiple complaints were received, and the disposition of the complaints, and
(3) The identity of police officers with either (a) more than two complaints in any twelve month span or (b) more than five total complaints during the previous ten years.
(4) The dollar value, if any, of settlements ordered and/or paid arising out of the citizen complaints, provided such disclosure does not violate a confidentiality agreement.
The Chief of Police shall prepare an annual report to the Office of the Mayor and the Court of Common Council indicating disciplinary actions taken and assistance offered to police officer(s) and members of the Hartford Police Department against whom multiple civilian complaints were received. This annual report shall be posted to the City's website and also made available to the public at the Office of the Town and City Clerk.
The Hartford Police Department shall timely provide police policies, training and procedures upon request by the Board, except as otherwise required by law or to the extent that disclosure could compromise public safety, and shall make such policies, training and procedures available on the city website, subject to the same limitation above.
The Civilian Police Review Board, through the Inspector General, may directly notify and request assistance from the Mayor if it encounters compliance issues with the Hartford Police Department regarding the enforcement of this ordinance.
(f) Inspector General. There is hereby established the position of Inspector General. The Inspector General shall be a member of the classified service and following a competitive selection process shall be appointed by a panel consisting of the chair of the Civilian Police Review Board, the Mayor, and the President of the City Council. The inspector general shall have the requisite skills and knowledge of general police policies and practices and the state of the law related to civil rights, and other claims made against police officers, and more generally have experience and expertise in fields relevant to the charge of the Civilian Police Review Board and in the selection of the Inspector General there shall be a preference for candidates with formal legal training. The inspector general may have a law enforcement background but may not be a member of a police department at the time of nomination to the position or have ever been a member of the Hartford Police Department.
The Inspector General [may have such staff as may be provided for in the annual budget as adopted by the City Council] shall be provided with an annual budget, as adopted by City Council, which may be used to hire staff, cover necessary expensess, and support ongoing training for both the Office of Inspector General and members of the Civilian Police Review Board. All expenditures are subject to prior approval by the Civilian Police Review Board. This budget is dedicated solely to the operation of the Civilian Police Review Board and the Inspector General.
The Inspector General must adhere to all City of Hartford protocols and requirements for documenting and tracking the use of city funds. Upon request by the Mayor or City Council, or as required by City of Hartford or State of Connecticut rules, regulations, or law, the Inspector General shall submit a written report detailing any and all expenditures made.
[Such] Staff hired by the Civilian Police Review Board shall be members of the classified service and subject to the rules of the classified service, shall be appointed and may be removed by the Inspector General, for good cause. Such staff may have a law enforcement background but may not be a member of a police department at the time of the nomination to the position or may not have ever been a member of the Hartford Police Department.
(1) The Inspector General reports directly to the Civilian Police Review Board, as outlined in Section (a) above.
(2) The Inspector General shall conduct a concurrent investigation, along with the Police Department/Internal Affairs investigation, into each citizen complaint referred by the Civilian Police Review Board.
(3) The Chair of the Civilian Police Review Board shall refer complaints to the Inspector General forthwith for investigation.
(4) [The inspector general shall have access to the same files and reports as the Hartford Police Department's Internal Affairs Division as allowed by existing statutes or requirements of law.] The Hartford Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division shall promptly provide the Inspector General with access to and copies of all materials in its file, as well as any documents reviewed in connection with a citizen complaint, without redaction. This requirement applies unless a record or document is specifically prohibited from disclosure by federal law or Connecticut state statute governing confidentiality of records, excluding Connecticut General Statutes Sections 1210 et seq. If Internal Affairs asserts that certain records are prohibited from disclosure under federal or state law, it must promptly submit written notification confirming the existence of the record, along with a general explanation of its nature, without revealing its contents. In such a case, the Chief of Police cannot go forward with adjudicating a citizen complaint until such documents have been provided to the Inspector General, subject to the provisions of section (d)(11) of this ordinance
(5) Pursuant to Public Act 201 and codified in Connecticut General Statutes Section 7294aaa, [Upon authorization under state law], the Inspector General, through the Civilian Police Review Board, shall have the authority to issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and require the production and examination of any books and papers deemed relevant to a citizen complaint. If a witness or police officer fails to comply with a properly served subpoena, in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes 52143, the Civilian Police Review Board may authorize it’s Inspector General, if he or she is a licensed attorney, to seek a court order mandating compliance. If the Inspector General is not a licensed attorney, the Office of Corporation Counsel shall make a licensed attorney available to the Board for these purposes.
(6) The Inspector General shall complete [its] their investigation and provide [its] their findings and recommendations to the Civilian Police Review Board within [a] forty-five days (45) [period, unless that time is extended pursuant to the provisions of this section] of receiving a copy of a citizen complaint, subject to the provisions set forth in Section d(7) of this ordinance.
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