After pausing case reviews last year due to political controversy, Boulder’s Police Oversight Panel is recommending a broad set of reforms for the city’s police department, including updates to training, handling of sexual harassment cases and coordination with licensed clinicians in the city’s co-responder program.
These recommendations are part of the panel’s annual report , released this month, which summarizes its review of internal investigations into complaints of officer misconduct. In 2023, the panel reviewed 20 investigations, with most of the allegations deemed unfounded or not sustained due to insufficient evidence.
The report details the department’s handling of accountability, citing two cases where officers resigned following sexual harassment allegations from subordinate officers. These cases, among others, are central to the panel’s push for policy changes aimed at increasing transparency and accountability within the department.
The report also reflects a resumption of the panel’s work after the 2023 moratorium . The pause came after the Boulder City Council removed a panelist over allegations of bias against police, which led to a new ordinance partially designed to shield the panel from political interference.