(1) The office of the police auditor, hereafter auditor’s office, is hereby established to provide an independent location to lodge complaints involving police employees, monitor internal investigations to ensure objective, thorough and high quality investigations, and develop recommendations to improve police services.

(2) The auditor’s office shall be headed by a full-time professional police auditor who is hired by and accountable to the city council. The city council shall hire, supervise, and specify the salary of the independent police auditor, who shall serve at the pleasure of the city council. All city council decisions regarding the auditor will be made by a simple majority vote of the city council.

(3) The independent police auditor shall have exclusive authority to hire, supervise, and to make all other employment decisions regarding the auditor’s support staff. No change relating to the authority to hire and supervise the auditor’s staff shall be made without formal action of the city council.

(4) Any findings, recommendations and actions taken shall reflect the police auditor’s independent judgment. No person shall use his/her political or administrative position to attempt to unduly influence or undermine the independence of the police auditor, or his/her staff or agent, in the performance of his/her duties and responsibilities.

(5) The city manager shall include in his/her recommended budget an allocation sufficient for the auditor and the auditor’s office to carry out their duties and responsibilities under the Eugene Charter of 2002 and the Eugene Code, including sufficient funds to contract for external investigations.

(6) The physical location of the auditor’s office shall be separate from the police department, but in close proximity so as to facilitate a close working relationship with others involved in the complaint investigation process, and easily accessible to the public. The auditor shall have complete, unrestricted and direct access to the internal affairs area during office hours.

(7) It is intended that sections 2.450 through 2.456 and 2.240 through 2.246 will provide a system of independent oversight of the police complaint process and implement section 15-A of the Eugene Charter of 2002 as adopted by the city electorate on November 8, 2005.