Which mechanism provides external civilian oversight of police misconduct?

• A. Early warning system
• B. Civilian review board
• C. Garrity v. New Jersey
• D. Punishments

Answer: (B)

External civilian oversight is provided by civilian review boards. These bodies are made up of non‑police community members who receive complaints, review investigations conducted by the department, and issue findings or recommendations that can lead to discipline or policy changes. Their independence from the police department and their mandate to scrutinize misconduct in the name of the public help build transparency and accountability.

The other items don’t fit as external civilian oversight: an early warning system is an internal tool to flag officers for potential problems, not a civilian oversight mechanism; Garrity v. New Jersey is a Supreme Court case about officers’ rights during investigations, not a mechanism for external oversight; punishments describe outcomes and sanctions, not the process of external oversight itself.