The experiences of seven cities (Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Mo., Memphis, Tenn., New York, Oakland, Calif. and Philadelphia) are examined in detail. For each city, information is presented about the nature of the civil review mechanism, its stated purpose and resources, the complaint process, the mechanism's current status, and related issues. The types of civilian review mechanisms discussed include those composed largely of civilians and which are external to the police department, boards comprised of civilians and which sit over the police department, and committees and offices which include civilians and are located within the police department in either an advisory or an investigatory capacity. The report's second section includes limited information on the civilian review mechanism in nine additional cities, a discussion of ombudsman agencies, and a discussion of alternative means for involving civilians in the grievance process. Some of the arguments both for and against the civilian review process are summarized and excerpted from the literature on civilian review. Footnotes follow each section of the report. A list of 16 appendices available from the Hartford Institute of Criminal and Social Justice and an extensive bibliography are included.