The Capitol Police Board is charged with overseeing and supporting the  Capitol Police. The Board’s Scope is Unique Among Law Enforcement Oversight Entities

As depicted in Figure 2, the Board’s current scope is wide, ranging from  making security decisions and establishing unified schedules of rates of  pay, to approving terminations. According to officials representing two of  the four law enforcement expert groups with whom we spoke, such a  wide ranging scope for an oversight body is atypical. The Board’s Manual Has Fully or Partially Incorporated Leading Practices to Facilitate Accountability, Transparency, and Effective External Communication, but the Board Has Not Always Implemented Manual Provisions as Designed

The Board’s Manual of Procedures fully incorporated one of the six  leading practices and partially incorporated the other five to facilitate  accountability, transparency, and effective external communication. The Manual has not  incorporated this activity. Nevertheless,  Board members and staff told us that, in their opinion, stakeholders face  no barriers to information. Therefore, the Board has not fully incorporated  some leading practices into its Manual because it believes that some of  them address areas beyond what is required in statute. Adjustments That Would Not Require Statutory Change

1. Recommendation

To ensure that the Capitol Police Board’s current and any new  approaches help enhance accountability, transparency, and effective  external communication with its stakeholders, we recommend that the  Board revise its Manual of Procedures to fully incorporate each of the  leading practices for internal control and governance standards discussed  in this report. In its written comments, the Board did not state whether or not it  concurred with the contents of our draft report or our recommendation. To examine the roles and responsibilities of the Board and the Chief of  the Capitol Police as set out in statute and in the Board’s Manual of  Procedures (Manual) and to determine how the Board’s scope compares  to other law enforcement oversight entities, we reviewed the relevant  statutes that set out the Board and the Chief’s roles and responsibilities. To examine the extent to which the Board’s Manual  incorporates leading  practices from internal control and other standardized governance  practices to facilitate accountability, transparency and effective external  communication and describe the ways the Board has implemented these  practices, we first assessed the Manual using internal control and  corporate governance principles. In addition, we interviewed  Board officials to understand their practices. To identify the Congressional stakeholder perspectives on the degree to  which the Board is accountable, transparent, and effective in its  communication approaches and options that exist to enhance the Board’s  approaches, we sought stakeholder views from the majority and minority  staff of the committees who engage with the Board – Senate Committee  on Rules and Administration, Committee on House Administration, and  the Senate and House Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittees  – as well as the majority and minority staff representing the leadership  from the Senate and the House, to provide insight into how the Board’s  practices were meeting their needs for accountability, transparency, and  effective communication when interacting with the Board and to solicit  feedback on the options to alternative Board structures that we found in  our prior work on the Board, options proposed by the Congressional  Research Service in 2009, and to identify any other options that may  address any concerns they have in interacting with the Board.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Board is charged with overseeing and supporting the Capitol Police. GAO was asked to review the Board's operations, including the Board's accountability and level of communication. This report examines (1) the roles and responsibilities of the Board and the Police Chief and the comparability of the Board's scope to other law enforcement oversight entities; (2) the extent to which the Board's Manual incorporates leading practices for accountability, transparency, and external communication, and how the Board implements these practices; and (3) Congressional stakeholder perspectives on the Board's approaches and adjustments to enhance them.
To complete this review, GAO analyzed relevant statutes and Board governing documents and operations. GAO also used internal control and corporate governance standards to articulate the key principles of accountability, transparency, and effective external communication; identified six leading practices that facilitate these principles; and analyzed the Board's Manual against each. GAO also interviewed Board members and staff, Congressional stakeholders, and experts selected for their knowledge of law enforcement oversight.

What GAO Found

The Capitol Police Board (Board) has wide-ranging responsibilities and according to experts with knowledge of law enforcement oversight bodies, like civilian oversight boards, the Board's scope is unique by comparison. For example, the Board has authority for security decisions, as well as certain human capital and personnel matters, including the approval of officer terminations.
In 2013, the Board adopted a Manual of Procedures (Manual) that references its operations and establishes protocols for outreach with the Congressional committees and leadership offices (stakeholders) with whom the Board interacts. This Manual fully incorporated one and partially incorporated five of the six leading practices that facilitate the principles of accountability, transparency, and effective external communication; however, the Board has not always implemented these practices, such as notifying stakeholders that certain information on the Board's decisions and operations is available to them.
Some stakeholders raised concerns, such as the Board not adequately soliciting their input, and suggested adjustments to enhance the Board's approaches. Board officials told us that the Manual has not incorporated some leading practices, in part because they address activities beyond statutory requirements. Leading practices note that effective governing bodies make commitments to stakeholders that exceed basic requirements, and GAO found the Manual includes activities that go beyond what is statutorily prescribed. Working to fully incorporate leading practices into its Manual and operations would help the Board enhance its accountability, transparency, and effective external communication with stakeholders.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that the Board revise its Manual to fully incorporate leading practices, including evaluating its performance, and engage with stakeholders and incorporate their views, as appropriate, on any changes. The Board did not state whether it concurred with the recommendation.