DO you think our current ordinance on the Office of Police Ombudsperson (OPO) and the OPO Commission that oversees that office has served us well? Or does it need work?
Under the current ordinance we spent over a year with NO Ombudsperson. Do we need a more simple hiring process?
How important is it that we have an OPO that sits in on internal police investigations and observes the statements and demeanor? Are we willing to give that up in order to get real, independent investigations of serio...
DO you think our current ordinance on the Office of Police Ombudsperson (OPO) and the OPO Commission that oversees that office has served us well? Or does it need work?
Under the current ordinance we spent over a year with NO Ombudsperson. Do we need a more simple hiring process?
How important is it that we have an OPO that sits in on internal police investigations and observes the statements and demeanor? Are we willing to give that up in order to get real, independent investigations of serious allegations? Is there a way to have both? The City Charter, as amended by Proposition 1, directs us to have both.
Many people in Spokane do not even know that there is Office providing independent oversight of the Police Department. Why is that? Can we fix it?
These and other questions are on the agenda for this public forum. The OPO Commission and City Council are actively seeking input from Spokane's people on this work. Come and be heard!!
We will start with a panel discussion about where we are now, how we got here, and how the system is (or is not) working.
Then we will have a brainstorming and an open discussion with those who attend aimed at surfacing possible ways to make the OPO and OPOC more effective and more connected to the needs of people – particularly those who are most vulnerable.
If you are unable to attend and want to share your input, please email: dconklin@spokanecity.org, AvanderPol@spokanecity.org, or Bbeggs@spokanecity.org with your comments by the 26th.
