Olympia is seeking feedback on ideas for police oversight, including civilian auditor post
Three work groups in the city of Olympia have compiled draft recommendations for how community could play a larger role and provide more oversight of the city’s justice system.
The recommendations have been compiled into a survey so residents can provide feedback on the ideas. The survey can be found on the Engage Olympia website, according to a city news release.
The survey includes information on a proposed civilian police auditor position that would be selected by the City Council. The auditor would receive and review all complaints directly, regularly meeting with a Community Board to share an overview of complaints, and review proposed OPD policy and training changes.
The Community Board would be composed of six to nine members appointed by the City Council, according to the survey. They would be involved in the recruitment and selection of the auditor, receive briefings from the auditor and make recommendations, and participate in ongoing training. Two of its members also would serve on the Capital Metro Independent Investigations Team as needed,
The survey on the recommendations includes a graphic and short videos with written summaries of the more significant proposals. It’s available until the end of the day Monday, March 4. The survey responses will be used to help the Social Justice and Equity commission, a community work group and the Olympia Police Department draft another round of recommendations for the City Council to review.
The goal is for the Social Justice & Equity Commission to deliver final recommendations to the City Council in June, according to the city’s news release.
Establishing oversight was identified as one of the action items to expand the community’s role in the public safety system, under the city’s goal of reimagining public safety. A Reimagining Public Safety Community Work Group was established and made several recommendations in December 2022 on how to improve things.
Assistant City Manager Debbie Sullivan said last May that the citizen oversight group’s purpose is to ensure there are fair and thorough investigations free of bias, as well as to build confidence, trust and transparency in the police department. It is aiming to improve policies and training, and give the public a better understanding of the department as a whole.
Community members can provide their feedback on the draft recommendations by phone, email or mail by contacting project manager Stacey Ray at 360-753-8046, or sray@ci.olympia.wa.us. Physical mail can be sent to Ray at the City Manager’s Office at P.O. Box 1967, Olympia, WA, 98507-1967.
