Providence's civilian police oversight board is set to review, and could vote on, changes to how it handles complaints about officers on Thursday, Nov. 12, to match a city ordinance approved in June. The Providence External Review Authority, known as PERA, meets at 5:30 p.m. at 444 Westminster St.
The agenda lists the item as "Review, discussion, and possible vote on updating PERA's complaint handling process due to ordinance changes." The posted agenda packet does not include a draft of the new process. Public comment is the first item.
What the June ordinance changed
The ordinance, approved June 8, 2026, amended the section of the city code that governs PERA. Several of its provisions bear on how a complaint moves through the board:
PERA's director and investigators get "read-only user access" to the police records management system, including incident reports, arrest reports and body-worn camera recordings. Detective and investigative modules, criminal intelligence databases and confidential informant records are excluded. Requests for files or records from the police internal affairs system must be fulfilled within 96 hours.
Anyone can file a complaint, including through an online portal, and PERA may start its own investigation "upon probable cause."
The executive director has 30 days after a complaint is filed to recommend dismissal, mediation or referral to the police internal investigations unit, holding it, or a full investigation.
PERA does not run parallel investigations with the police Office of Professional Responsibility. It waits until that office finishes. An investigation must then be completed within 120 days, extendable by up to 60.
When a complaint is sustained, PERA's findings go to the police chief, the City Council and the mayor. The chief is to impose discipline "based upon the recommendation of discipline submitted by the authority" within a reasonable time not to exceed 60 days, and explain the decision in writing to PERA, the council and the mayor.
What is on the agenda besides the vote
Item 3a on the agenda is an executive director update on "correspondence to the Mayor and City Council members re: Matrix." The agenda does not say which matrix is meant or what the correspondence says.
Separately, the ordinance requires PERA's findings to state the level of violation in a "disciplinary matrix developed by PERA and the chief of police." PERA's web page lists a PERA-PPD Disciplinary Recommendation Matrix dated Oct. 16, 2025, which describes itself as "a recommendation tool only," with final discipline remaining with the department.
The same page links a complaint intake policy headed "Proposed January 2020," which predates the ordinance by more than six years. The page does not say whether a newer version exists.
The board will also get an update on hiring an investigator. A city job listing for a PERA investigator, posting COP-00020-26, lists a salary of $63,932 to $69,896. The ordinance requires investigators to be civilians. PERA's page names an executive director, a lead investigator and an executive assistant as staff.
Other items are a discussion of the board's monthly meeting schedule, a discussion of its role "particularly its responsibilities related to police oversight versus advocacy," and a review of Providence Police General Order 130.01 on internal investigations.
