Dear Hillsboro Community Members, 

I appreciate your interest in the Independent Review of the Hillsboro Police Department: Use of Force, Policies, and Accountability Systems conducted by the OIR Group. For several months, HPD staff have responded to inquiries from community members and their elected representatives regarding existing accountability systems within the department and their effectiveness. These conversations have been based on the legitimate expectation that law enforcement professionals in our city must approach their duties from well-defined and values-oriented standards of conduct. Believing the systems in place are robust enough to guarantee this is not sufficient. A critical review of those systems and their results is essential to both the maintenance of standards and the improvements upon them that build community trust. 

The Hillsboro Police Department chose the OIR Group to conduct this evaluation for several reasons. It’s a nationally recognized organization with a demonstrated expertise in accountability systems. It has a reputation for thorough and direct assessments. Because of this, OIR Group was granted access to use of force, policy, and accountability-related records that have reached a procedural conclusion between the years 2018–2020. Regarding HPD’s commitment to the project, OIR stated the following in its final report, “Our numerous requests for information and scheduling assistance were met with a swift, flexible and complete response.” The example cases used in this report typically show a commitment to improvement and reform; however, they are also chosen to demonstrate what OIR refers to as the opportunity for a more “rigorous, comprehensive approach.”

The final report makes 47 recommendations to the department. Each of the 47 will be carefully considered upon criteria including, but not limited to: priority, complexity, impact upon partnering entities, and opportunity for combination with other initiatives. There are notable recommendations in areas such as establishing a Use of Force Review Board. The report addresses accountability tools (Body Worn Cameras, early intervention tools, etc.) and qualitative additions to critical incident After Action Reviews that I have noted as the Chief. 

The Hillsboro Police Department is focused on researching “new models and new ways of thinking” as we customize them in a manner that supports our mission of delivering exceptional police services. We are privileged to serve in a community that offers the support ours does, and we are hopeful this report demonstrates our commitment to maintaining that support. 

Respectfully, 

Jim Coleman  Chief of Police 

Hillsboro Police Department

Read the OIR Group Report, Independent Review of the Hillsboro Police Department: Use of Force, Policies, and Accountability Systems. 

Visit our Police Review and Advancement webpage for more information on our efforts in these areas.