City council panel cool to Mayor’s idea of independent police monitor

AURORA | Mayor Steve Hogan’s plan for an independent police monitor met a chilly reception from a city council committee Tuesday.

Council’s public safety and courts committee opted not to endorse the plan, which would create a city council-appointed monitor to review citizen complaints and controversial police conduct. Instead, the committee referred the idea to city staff for more research.

“I have lots of questions, and I think others do, too,” said Councilwoman Barb Cleland, committee chairwoman.

Hogan said he was content with the panel opting to look closer, but he wants to start a conversation about an independent police monitor now rather than in the aftermath of a controversial incident.

“I can think of no better time than right now to talk about this,” he said.

Hogan said he wants council to “talk conceptually” about the idea, and isn’t attached to any particular set up for an independent monitor.

The plan Hogan submitted to council this week includes a paid monitor appointed by city council who, along with the monitor’s support staff, would investigate complaints against police officers, including alleged incidents of police misconduct.

But, Hogan said he is open to considering a monitor appointed by the city manager rather than council, and even a committee of citizens tasked with investigating controversial incidents.

Right now, residents can be confused about who they should contact if they have a complaint about an officer, Hogan said, and often don’t know if they should contact the police chief or the city’s Key Community Response Team, a citizen group that tries to mediate controversial problems between police and the community.

“It provides a clear point of contact in the organization for anyone who has a concern,” Hogan said of the monitor.

The important thing, he said, is that council put a monitor in place now, and not in the throes of some future controversy.

“Too often it is in a very emotional time when people have strongly held positions on one side or the other,” he said.

The city has tried similar measures before, including a discipline review board that looked at police officer discipline cases.

But police Chief Dan Oates said that board, which was supposed to be private and without official authority, failed because it started to bleed into Civil Service Commission hearings for disciplined officers.

“In essence, it backfired,” he said.

Oates said he would not recommend bringing the disciplinary review board back into practice and also had reservations about an independent monitor.

“As it is written, I believe it to be an intrusion on my powers,” he said.

City Attorney Charlie Richardson said Hogan’s plan is an aggregation of monitor ideas from Denver, New Orleans and Portland.

As it is written now, the monitor would not have the authority to discipline officers, just to make recommendations to the police chief.

“The only authority the monitor has is through persuasion,” he said.

The city’s Civil Service Commission is tasked by the city charter with overseeing some police discipline cases already. Commission Chair Ken Sullivan said the commission isn’t taking a position on the idea but wants to make sure any idea council pursues doesn’t impinge on the commission’s role.

“That would create a conflict. If that’s addressed, we would certainly provide input into the process if we are asked to,” he said.