Catherine Twigg, Esq. joined CPOC in June 2023 as CPOC’s General Counsel. Want to learn more about her role and what she enjoys outside the office? Check out our Q&A blog post to get to know Catherine better! Stay tuned to learn more about CPOC’s staff.
What is a typical day like as the general counsel at CPOC?
My work really varies from day to day. As the lawyer for the agency, I have the privilege of helping each of our divisions – Investigations; Auditing, Policy and Research; Data; Government Affairs; Outreach & Constituent Services; and Administration. Each unit has a variety of legal and policy issues. I also advise our Board of Commissioners in their work. Overall, I help ensure that all of our work is advancing our enabling legislation, and our mission of building transparency and accountability at PPD.
What drew you to this role in police oversight?
I started working in police oversight back in 2012. After investigating individual police misconduct cases for many years in both New York and Washington, DC, I decided to go to law school, in order to have a greater impact on issues I was seeing frequently. I always keep in mind the many stories and experiences that people have shared with me over the years, which are the reason I believe in police oversight. Many people have had negative experiences with the police. They deserve to be heard and to have those complaints fairly and efficiently investigated.
What is most rewarding part of your job?
The public advocacy we’re doing! Police oversight has a long history in Philadelphia. In 2020, Philadelphians took to the streets to demand police reform and half a million people voted to create the Citizens Police Oversight Agency – the City’s first strong, independent agency to investigate police misconduct. City Council passed a law giving us significant power, and we have been fighting since then to build the agency and carry out our public mandate. I’m grateful when we get to talk about this important work and stand with the many Philadelphians who want to see this promise fulfilled.
If you could switch roles with anyone at CPOC, who would it be and why?
I would really enjoy being one of our investigators. I really enjoyed meeting complainants and hearing their story, chasing down all the video and other evidence, and interviewing police officers and witnesses. Sometimes it can be challenging to get everything you need or to identify an officer – and I like the puzzle of working to get the whole story. Finally, it’s great to bring all the evidence together to establish what happened and recommend a fair outcome.
As an investigator, I was always happy when I could send cases to mediation, if both the complainant and the officer agreed, because I also really believe in restorative justice and I think that when both parties can be heard in a calm, safe environment – away from the stressful situation where they first met – they can both get more resolution.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy being outside: hiking or walking my dog or planting flowers in my neighborhood. I’m so grateful for the warm spring weather we’re having these days. I enjoy biking, but I don’t enjoy traffic, so I’m always looking for a quieter place to bike.
What is your favorite part of Philadelphia?
The hardest question! I love how tough, loyal, and creative Philadelphians are. We live in a beautiful city – not just the museums and the parks, but the people! I love seeing neighbors support and care for each other.
