Recently, the City of Boulder moved to narrow the scope of the Police Oversight Panel’s work, a decision that has drawn pushback from panel members and residents who say it weakens civilian oversight of police misconduct, particularly in cases involving use of force and allegations of discrimination.
Under the change, the police monitor, not the 11-member civilian panel, now has greater authority to decide which misconduct complaints reach the panel for review. City officials say the shift is necessary to conserve limited resources and focus attention on the most serious cases. Panel members argue it reduces transparency and undercuts the panel’s original purpose.
When Boulder created the Police Oversight Panel, it was intended to increase accountability and public trust in policing by ensuring independent civilian review of internal investigations. That structure required the police monitor to summarize every misconduct complaint for the panel, allowing members to weigh in even when allegations were ultimately deemed unfounded. That process is now changing.
Under the new system, complaints are first reviewed by the police department’s Professional Standards Unit. The police monitor and the unit then jointly determine whether a complaint is unfounded or warrants further investigation. If both agree that a complaint is unfounded, it does not go to the panel at all. The Chief of Police retains final authority over disciplinary outcomes…