The Citizen’s Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) is thrilled to announce that as of January 1, 2023, our new case management system, Oversight by Sivil, has gone live, featuring a portal for use by members of the public. Sivil is one of the first companies to design software specifically with agencies responsible for civilian oversight of police in mind. Members of our staff have been working with the team at Sivil for over a year to tailor the software to the specific needs of our agency. This software greatly improves how we provide services to Philadelphia residents by modernizing the way CPOC receives complaints against police officers, recommendations for officer commendations, and general feedback. While only the aforementioned functions are live at the moment, other modules within Oversight by Sivil are being customized for use by every unit of our office to centralize CPOC’s work and work products and will go live in the coming months. CPOC is not the only one on the Oversight by Sivil platform. The City of Long Beach Citizen Police Complaint Commission (CPCC) and City of Charlottesville Police Civilian Oversight Board (PCOB) are just a few examples of other agencies that are also utilizing Oversight by Sivil. CPOC is excited to join our fellow oversight colleagues as one of first agencies utilizing this innovative product.
Residents can visit the Oversight by Sivil portal to submit a complaint or commendation about a police officer through the online form and create an account if they so choose. After the form is submitted, residents can follow up and track the progress of their case online – a function that has never before been available in Philadelphia. The portal also utilizes a translate option so that residents who speak different languages can access it easily. CPOC has already processed six (6) complaints through Oversight by Sivil. We are excited to see how this software increases the accessibility of our services for residents and transparency about their interaction with police officers.
To file a complaint against a police officer or submit a recommendation for an officer commendation, please visit https://philadelphiapa.siviltech.com/. You can also find the link to the Oversight by Sivil portal on our website at https://www.phila.gov/services/crime-law-justice/police/file-a-complaint-against-a-philadelphia-police-officer/.
CPOC invites the public to join us at 6:00pm tonight, January 17, 2023, for our Virtual Community Town Hall. Residents can access the Zoom meeting by following this link.