City of Boise works to change police oversight to new model of police accountability

The city of Boise created the first version of its Office of Police Oversight more than 20 years ago.

While it's changed over time, it's always been a place where the community can report a complaint against the police department and its officers.

POLICEACCOUNTABILITY HASBEEN THE FOCUS OFA NATIONALMOVEMENT, ANDNOW THE CITY OFBOISE IS MAKINGCHANGES TO ITSLONGSTANDINGOFFICE OF POLICEOVERSIGHT.CITY LEADERS AREPROMISING MORETRANSPARENCYWHEN IT COMES TOINVESTIGATINGCOMPLAINTSAGAINST POLICE.OUR RICARDOCORONADO SPOKETO THE CITYCOUNCIL PRESIDENTABOUT WHERE THEPROPOSAL IS AT ANDHOW YOU CANWEIGH IN.BOISE CREATED THEFIRST VERSION OFITS OFFICE OFPOLICEOVERSIGHT...MORETHAN 20 YEARS AGO.WHILE IT'S CHANGEDOVER TIME...IT'SALWAYS BEEN APLACE WHERE THECOMMUNITY CANREPORT ACOMPLAINT AGAINSTTHE POLICEDEPARTMENT ANDITS OFFICERS.

NDNOW IT'S CHANGINGAGAIN - WITH THESAME FOCUS ONTRANSPARENCY...AND MAINTAININGTRUST."THE WAY OFFICE ISSET UP TODAY ISCOMPLAINT-DRIVENAND THE REPORT ISBASED ON THOSE SOWE ARE ADJUSTINGTHOSE, COMPLAINTSWILL STILL COME INBUT IN ADDITION,THE OFFICE WILL DOTHE REGULARLYAUDITING INTERNALAFFAIRS AT THEPOLICEDEPARTMENT."THE PROPOSED NEWMODEL WILL BEKNOWN AS THEOFFICE OF POLICEACCOUNTABILITY.AND CRUCIALLY... ITWILL STILL BEINDEPENDENT OFTHE POLICEDEPARTMENT."WILL BEINCREASING THEAMOUNT OFREPORTING THATWILL HAPPEN FROMTHE OFFICE TO THECITY COUNCIL AGAINWE HOPE IT WILLINCREASE THETRANSPARENCYWITH OURRESIDENTS SO THATTHEY KNOW WHAT'SHAPPENING IN THEPOLICEDEPARTMENT.THE CITY WANTSYOUR FEEDBACK.

ASURVEY.INCLUDESQUESTIONS ABOUTRESIDENTS'FAMILIARITY WITHTHE OFFICE OFPOLICEOVERSIGHT...ANDWHAT THEY THINK ISIMPORTANT.

ONE OFTHE BIG CHANGES INTHISPROPOSAL...WOULDBE MOVING THEOFFICE FROM APART-TIME...TO AFULL TIME STAFF.THE FORMERDIRECTOR HASSTEPPEDDOWN...AND MAYORLAUREN HAS NAMEDAN INTERIMDIRECTOR.APPLICATIONS FORTHE NEW POSITIONARE CLOSED...BUTTHE CITY WILL BECONDUCTINGINTERVIEWS IN THENEXT WEEK OR TWOTO FILL THE NEWFULL-TIME POSITION.THE CITY COUNCILHAS REVIEWED THEORDINANCE TOREVAMP THEOFFICE...BUTTHERE'S NOTIMELINE...YET FOR ATHIRD READING ANDA VOTE."THE COUNCIL WILLVOTE ON THEORDINANCE ANDTHEN THE DIRECTORWILL BE BROUGHTTO THE COUNCIL FORCONFIRMATION."