BOULDER, Colo. — As the questions of law enforcement accountability is grappled with across the country, a panel in Boulder tasked with oversight of the police department is reaching out to ask what the community wants from them.
"In terms of what the positions are, how they relate to the oversight of what policing is happening, and what sort of process that is," said Hadasa Villalobos, co-chair of the Boulder Police Oversight Panel.
A small group gathered in the Boulder Library Wednesday evening — one panel member noted that the audience had doubled since their last meeting. They are hoping for more community engagement before the panel begins reviewing complaints made against local officers.
"We provide a lot of recommendations and input. We provide that community voice, but ultimately, we don't have a final say," said Villalobos.
The final say on if any recommendations are carried over to the police department will always be made by the police chief.
Feedback on Wednesday night ranged from suggesting the panel uses independent legal counsel instead of the city attorney and making sure there are diverse community opinions on the panel.
"We're the people that they're protecting. It's not necessarily that we're telling them how to do their jobs, but it's more so, if you're in a position that happens to be life or death, and you're responsible for someone else's life or death, then yeah, I would appreciate being able to have a bit of feedback," said Boulder resident Jack Herdy-Kelly, who attended the meeting.
Some people spoke out against having an oversight panel at all. They said they were concerned it sends a message to local officers that the community doesn't trust them. They are concerned that might impact retention of law enforcement officers.
The panel said they are in contact with Boulder PD, and the department supports its efforts.
"I have worked with police officers, and I know that they themselves are supportive of police oversight. They want to know that the community respects and trust the work that they're doing," said Villalobos.
The panel will consider the feedback collected and come up with a draft plan, possibly released in late August, and host another public meeting before the final draft is written.
If you'd like to offer your feedback on the oversight panel, you can email them at: PoliceOversightPanel@bouldercolorado.gov
