Washington's Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), created in 1980, was abolished in mid-1995. Opinions differ about why the board was not successful, with most agreeing that budgetary cuts and its requirement that it must investigate and hold an adjudicatory hearing for each complaint dooming the board to an insurmountable backlog and dissatisfaction for all. Even when the board was able to sustain cases, police administrative trial boards often overturned CCRB's findings.

The failure of the oversight system, including the CCRB and IAD, was apparent when the city was held liable for damages for police abuse in a case filed in 1991. In 1993, the U.S. District Court found that the MPD maintained a "patentlyinadequate system of investigation of excessive force complaints."20 Furthermore, the department showed a "deliberate indifference to the rights of persons who come in contact with District police officers."21 The court held the department and city responsible for allowing the CCRB to conduct poor, or no, investigations and not disciplining officers regardless of the CCRB's actions.

The CCRB would receive approximately 500 complaints a year, but it was only able to dispose of about one hundred. As the board's funding was cut, the head of the MPD police union Det. J.C. Stamps, said, "That's what they have the court system for; that's what they have internal affairs for," when asked whether independent review necessary.22

In October 1995, the City Council's judiciary committee held hearings on the need for civilian review and proposals for creating a new, less burdensome and less expensive mechanism similar to the one used in Minneapolis, Minnesota.23 Faced with the prospect of the police department's zero tolerance initiative without any mechanism for external review, an independent task force was created by city activists in early 1997, made up of twenty-five members, including representatives from nongovernmental groups, four retired MPD officers, and the former chairperson of the CCRB.24 The task force, called the Metropolitan Police and Criminal Justice Review Task Force, planned to review and evaluate the MPD and assist individuals who have complaints about police misconduct. Its creation highlighted the absence of any formal external review of the police force. In September 1997, the City Council discussed the possibility of creating some new external review mechanism, with police officials favoring the use of police officers as investigators and retired judges as the review panel. Civil rights groups opposed this proposal, advocating an independent review agency instead.25

20 Cox v. District of Columbia, 821 F. Supp. 1 (1993), aff'd 40 F.3d 475 (1994).

21 Ibid.

22 Michael A. Fletcher, "City's Police Review Panel Loses Funding in Budget," Washington Post, April 20, 1995.

23 See Minneapolis chapter.

24 Cheryl W. Thompson, "Panel to Review D.C. Police, NAACP Says," Washington Post, April 18, 1997.

25 In March 1997, an inspector general post to investigate allegations of corruption was created, but there were long delays in appointing anyone to fill the position.