An inside perspective on the needs and challenges facing the City’s fledgling oversight efforts. Did you know that Madison has one of the most empowered and independent police oversight agencies in the nation? Created in 2020 amidst the George Floyd protests, our police oversight agency consists of a Police Civilian Oversight Board (PCOB) and associated Office of the Independent Monitor (OIM). The creation of this agency was the culmination of years of community organizing, following a series of fatal officer-involved shootings, including that of Tony Robinson Jr. in 2015. Our Police Civilian Oversight Board is one of only two in the nation for which the majority of members must be nominated by designated community organizations, as recommended by the ACLU. There is much for Madisonians to be proud of here. But it’s important to note that our civilian police oversight agency is still in a nascent and fragile state.