Racial Bias Audit of the Charleston, South Carolina, Police Department

The Charleston Police Department (CPD) is increasingly becoming an active community partner in conversations and efforts to address the city’s past and present challenges surrounding race. Efforts to strengthen police-community relationships have been at the forefront of the city’s priorities. In January 2019, Charleston selected CNA to conduct a racial bias audit of the CPD.

WHAT WE DID

• Assess, monitor, and assist the CPD, in concert with the community, in uncovering any aspects of implicit bias or systemic and individual racial bias.
• Assess the effect of enforcement operations on historically marginalized and discriminated-against populations, particularly those in the African-American community.
• Provide recommendations for reforms that improve community-oriented policing practices, transparency, professionalism, accountability, community inclusion, fairness, effectiveness, and public trust, taking into
• Engage the community to understand their experiences and their expectations of interactions with CPD.

HOW WE DID IT

The audit team based its approach to the racial bias audit on a number of guiding principles: (1) providing evidence-based assistance with an emphasis on research, including both academic research and documented lessons learned and best practices from the field; (2) using a multimethod assessment design, including interviews, community meetings, document review and data analysis; and (3) conducting a comprehensive review and applying best practices in police settings.

WHAT WE LOOKED A

1.  Traffic stops and field contacts
2.  Use of force, deadly and non-deadly
3.  The complaint process, internal and external
4. Community-oriented policing practices
5. Recruitment, hiring, promotions, and personnel practices