The Office of Professional Accountability Review Board (OPARB) was created in 1999 as an independent office within the Seattle Police Department by Ordinance 119825. The intent was to ensure that Seattle police abide by the the laws, ethics, and policies governing their actions. Three members were elected by City Council for two years; these elected members must include a lawyer, an individual with criminal justice experience, and one person with a history of community organizing and outreach. The Board held meetings four times a month to review complaint records, internal investigations, and to answer civilian questions concerning police accountability. Due to new police accountability legislation in 2017, the Office of Professional Accountability Review Board was disbanded and reformed as two separate divisions: the Office of Police Accountability and the Community Police Commission.
Records include civilian complaints concerning the police and the review board, internal correspondence, and memoranda from the police department. Also included are various reports including the report of the civilian auditor, quarterly and annual reports, and commendations and complaints reports, as well as biographical information about board members (2002) and the history and origin of OPARB.
Records are open to the public.
[Item and date], Office of Professional Accountability Review Board Subject Files, Record Series 9365-02. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.