Madison alders voted 17 to 3 last Tuesday to reject a budget amendment that would have defunded the city’s Office of the Independent Monitor (or OIM) – redirecting the entirety of the office’s 405,000 dollar operating budget to the Madison Police Department to pay for costs related to implementing body worn cameras.
Discussion of the amendment dominated budget deliberations during the meeting, with alders accusing its cosponsors of a political stunt. While the amendment was ultimately rejected, the OIM’s supporters conceded that the office has struggled to meet their expectations so far, including delays in hiring, annual reports, the process for civilians to submit complaints about police, and the office’s recent failure to produce records.
The Police Civilian Oversight Board (PCOB), the body that the OIM reports to, is tasked with handling the office’s latest setback: former Independent Monitor Robin Copley’s resignation in early October, after three years on the job…