In March of 2019, the Zayd Atkinson incident captured local and national attention, bringing the issues of policing and racial equity to the forefront in Boulder. City Council quickly convened a community meeting to discuss how the Boulder community could move forward with more robust transparency and accountability for police operations. Council subsequently convened the Police Oversight Task Force in May 2019 to assist in developing options for Council to consider. The charter for the task force contains further details about the Task Force’s process and deadlines.
Based on the Task Force’s research, analysis, and final report; council adopted an initial ordinance in October of 2019 directing the establishment of a hybrid model to include an independent monitor and an all-civilian panel. In addition, council also established the Police Oversight Implementation Team which was composed of existing Task Force members joined by city staff to focus on finalizing the implementation details for the new model and passing the final police oversight ordinance. The Implementation Team began meeting in early 2020 and included Todd Conklin, Jr., Michelle Denae, Madelyn Woodley, Shawn Rae Passalacqua, Michele Simpson, and Pam Gignac.
Upon adoption of the final ordinance, the Implementation Team then transitioned into the Selection Committee to interview and select the initial nine members of the Police Oversight Panel. The team invited local non-profit organizations to provide representatives to be a part of the Selection Committee. This committee then reviewed all 53 applications that were submitted and interviewed a total of 18 applicants before selecting the panel’s first nine members. The Implementation Team and Selection Committee concluded their operations in February 2021. The Police Oversight Panel held its first meeting on February 11, 2021 and the panel’s work is now actively underway.