Boulder Police Oversight Panel discusses onboarding of new members, …

The Boulder Police Oversight Panel, which met Wednesday night for its first regular meeting since the City Council approved the new panelists and alternates, discussed the onboarding process for the new members, selected a case for full review and bid farewell to departing panelists.

“It’s really wonderful to end on a note where I’m seeing this really beautiful harmony coming together and knowing that the hardest part still lies ahead,” said outgoing member Taishya Adams. “We know that there’s some significant challenges still in the ordinance, as well as City Council’s understanding of what needs to be done and the public.”

During the meeting, Boulder Equity Officer Aimee Kane said she’s reached out to the six new panelists and four alternate panelists to schedule an orientation before their first meeting on March 8. Until that time, the panel on Wednesday agreed to have Daniel Leonard serve a second term as panel co-chair and Hadasa Villalobos agreed to join him, replacing Ariel Amaru, whose term also ended on Wednesday.

At the March meeting, the new panelists will be able to vote on the co-chairs as well as decide who will help conduct a full review of a Boulder Police Department case. The case the panel agreed to review involves three officers who are suspected of violating the same department standard: compliance with values, rules and general orders.

Panelists also discussed trainings for new members that teach them how to review cases, adding that they want to see new members and ongoing members trained on specific issues that have arisen over the years.

“I’m thinking arbitration (is) one area; (and) dealing with juveniles (is) another; domestic violence (is) another; supervisors (is) another ” Adams said. “There are just some themes that have been coming up and lifted up in annual reports, but there might be some other opportunities for extended learning.”

On Wednesday, Kane gave a brief update on the search for the new independent police monitor, who is overseen by the panelists it is responsible for training. Boulder City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde met with the “top candidate” on Tuesday. The city expects it will have more information later this week, Kane said. The three candidates are Cathy Rodriguez, Gina Torres and Mac Muir. It is unclear who of the three candidates has been selected as the first pick.

The new panelists who will begin meeting next month are Lisa Sweeney-Miran, Jason Savela, Soledad Diaz, Madelyn Strong Woodley, Sam Zhang and Mylene Vialard. The new members expands the panel from nine to 11 members and replace Amaru, Adams and Martha Wilson, who resigned late last year.

The alternates are Kristen Drybread, Lizzie Friend and Arlette “AB” Barlow and Sourisack Luangrath.

Since the City Council’s approval and leading up to its vote on the panelists, seven complaints have been filed regarding the process for selecting the then-candidates. During the most recent Boulder City Council meeting, the council appointed Claybourne Douglas, a municipal lawyer, to investigate all current and future complaints related to the panel and its selection process.

Oversight panelist Victor King took a minute to address the City Council’s drawn out decision-making process on Wednesday, which he said was very tense.

“It’s very apparent that some City Councilmembers still don’t understand what we do and are very misinformed on our purpose,” he said. “I just want to add that for future communication committee stuff (regarding) having an audience with them so they really understand what our purpose is because clearly they don’t.”