Boulder’s search for a new Independent Police Monitor continues

Boulder has announced it will continue its search for a new Independent Police Monitor who will work alongside the city’s Police Oversight Panel.

On Jan. 4, the city announced Cathy Rodriguez, Gina Torres and Mac Muir as the three finalist candidates for the vacant role. As recently as Feb. 8, Boulder City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde indicated she had recently met with the “top candidate,” although it’s unclear who that candidate was.

However, according to a Wednesday news release, the city has determined that “none of the candidates had the mix of skills required for where Boulder is in its oversight journey.”

“I appreciate the excellent candidates who applied for the Independent Monitor position during our initial search, and we are grateful for their participation in this competitive process,” Aimee Kane, equity officer at the City of Boulder, stated in the release.

“Unfortunately, we have not yet found a candidate with the specific skills and experience to fit this highly specialized staffing position. We look forward to a new influx of applications as we continue our national search for the right person.”

The role of the Independent Police Monitor is to receive and review police-related complaints, and to work with the police Oversight Panel and the Boulder Police Department to improve police transparency, accountability and performance. The city’s previous Independent Police Monitor, Joey Lipari, resigned in September 2022.

Boulder’s Police Oversight Panel was created in 2020 in response to a March 2019 confrontation between a Boulder police officer and a Black Naropa University student, Zayd Atkinson, who was picking up trash outside his home. The officer, John Smyly, resigned after he was found to have violated department policies. In the two years since the panel was established, it has been hampered by limitations on its power and efficacy.

While the city works to hire a new police monitor, the release stated that Flo Finkle with the Office of Independent Review will continue serving as interim independent monitor. Farah Muscadin, former City of Austin Director of the Office of Police Oversight, will also help support the Police Oversight Panel during this time.

“We wanted to be sure the panel was in good hands and fully supported at this critical time,” Kane stated in the release. “We are grateful to Farah and Flo for their time, expertise and willingness to serve as we continue to address this important staffing need.”