I was very happy when you passed the community backed civilian oversight in February. At that time we were assured that the civilian oversight would be that was independent, transparent, and community driven. Now we are finding that you wrote a policy that is essentially powerless to initiate independent investigations, and is extremely weak. The problem has always been PD investigating PD. All this will end up being is a very expensive rubber stamp. I do not approve at all.
When you received public support for OAT, it was support for a system that would hold police accountable through independent investigations and public involvement. What has been created is not that. There is no way for OAT to hold police accountable when it is run by police. There is no reason for OAT as it is now being presented. For decades Phoenix police have been able to get away with murder (literally) and that has to stop. OAT needs to be written with transparency and public input.
This was proposed as an independent, investigative, transparent, and community driven. In seven months, community organizers were never invited to the table to write this policy. This is an undeniable betrayal of what was promised, and you've twisted this idea into a more dangerous body under the guise of a fake, anemic investigative authority. Cops will never fairly grade cops. We demand that NO current or former officers or family members of officers be allowed to work at the OAT ever.
This is a farce! When community backed civilian oversight in February, it was because we were promised oversight that was independent, investigative, transparent, and community driven. Seven months later we’re finding out you wrote a policy without us, and are trying to give us fake, weak investigative authority. This dangerous and manipulative disfigurement of the community’s intentions must be stopped. Our lives depend on it.
City Council pushing to hire cops to OAT to oversee their cop friends is anti-Black and white supremacist. City council has cut out the community from the policy drafting process because they know for a fact that we don’t want cops in OAT! Delay the vote and implement our community oriented process. Something is NOT better than nothing when our lives are on the line!
If civilian oversight doesn’t have the ability to do independent investigations, it’s doing more harm than good, and we can’t implement that.
Putting civilian oversight in place that doesn’t have the power to initiate independent investigations is a slap in the face to victims of police violence and their families. Writing this policy behind closed doors shows us the city never had any intention of increasing police transparency or accountability.
Without the power to hold independent investigations, OAT/CRB is toothless. This proposal was developed behind closed doors, leaving out the community members and organizers who worked tirelessly to achieve the establishment of OAT/CRB. As an example: there is no process outlined here for community members to have a voice in who is appointed as director, or who will serve as a member. Delay the vote and implement a community oriented process with organizers at the table.
Council members, please do not make the fatal mistake of failing to meaningfully empower this oversight panel. As it stands, this group is nominal at best. Police have little real accountability to them if they cannot independently investigate. Please fix this flaw before more lives are recklessly taken.
* It is unacceptable that Council removed independent investigations and community participation from OAT/CRB. Black and brown people are still being targeted, harassed, and killed by Phx police. Cutting our voices out of this process shows you never cared about our health and safety- you only cared about your image.
Phx Pd is making false arrests and charges against peaceful protesters who are demanding an end to police violence. Without true oversight our community and our constitutional rights are under attack.
If the civilian oversight policy doesn’t have independent investigations and community participation in the policy writing, we’re asking Council to delay the vote until they get it right and honor our clear demands. Something is NOT better than nothing when our lives are on the line.
To propose a Civilian Review Board with no investigative power is a premeditated insult to civilians who have lost their lives to police violence, as well as civilians who live in fear of losing their lives to a deadly police force because that police force operates with no measure of justice or accountability. Additionally, police sympathizers also have no place in the staff employed to investigate police actions in the OAT. A borderline that favors police violence is a gateway for dominance.
It is unacceptable that Council removed independent investigations and community participation from OAT/CRB. If civilian oversight doesn’t have the ability to do independent investigations it’s doing more harm than good. Delay the vote and implement a community oriented process.
Keep police and police sympathizers out of the staff employed under OAT. They are not and will not ever be impartial. Stop playing political games with the lives of our community members. We deserve better than this. We all deserve leadership that will stand up for the people. You are representatives of the people so do what we keep saying you need to do. We know our best interest.
Putting civilian oversight in place that doesn’t have the power to initiate independent investigations is a slap in the face to victims of police violence and their families. Writing this policy behind closed doors shows us the city never had any intention of increasing police transparency or accountability.
Sec.20-10.D.- Ind. Inv. If the OAT determines that an investigation is still not thorough and complete, even after submitting a separate written recommendation to the Police Chief & City Manager, who makes the final determination? Sec.20–12.B.–OAT Access to Records. Should have an appeal or FOIA process for any material unable to produce to the OAT. Sec.20-1.C should require the OAT to monitor and participate in a minimum percentage of all cases.
Putting civilian oversight in place that doesn’t have the power to initiate independent investigations is a slap in the face to victims of police violence and their families. Writing this policy behind closed doors shows us the city never had any intention of increasing police transparency or accountability.
An office of accountability is meaningless if it relies on the very system they are investigating for the mechanisms of that accountability. This is a betrayal of the community's hard work to create true civilian oversight of the Phoenix Police. City council specifically stated earlier in the year that oversight would be independent and this proposal rescinds that statement. Absolutely do not allow police to oversee their own investigations.
Putting civilian oversight in place that doesn’t have the power to initiate independent investigations is a slap in the face to victims of police violence and their families. Writing this policy behind closed doors shows us the city never had any intention of increasing police transparency or accountability. Cops aren’t civilians. Don’t put them on the civilian oversight committee.
When the community backed civilian oversight in February, it was because we were promised oversight that was independent, investigative, and community-driven. Seven months later we discover you wrote a policy without us, and are trying to inject police into the very office meant to provide oversight over police misconduct. This is a terribly harmful and destructive conflict of interest, and amounts to the exact opposite of accountability and transparency.
I was very happy when you passed the community backed civilian oversight in February. At that time we were assured that the civilian oversight would be that was independent, transparent, and community driven. Now we are finding that you wrote a policy that is essentially powerless to initiate independent investigations, and is extremely weak. The problem has always been PD investigating PD. All this will end up being is a very expensive rubber stamp. I do not approve at all.
When you received public support for OAT, it was support for a system that would hold police accountable through independent investigations and public involvement. What has been created is not that. There is no way for OAT to hold police accountable when it is run by police. There is no reason for OAT as it is now being presented. For decades Phoenix police have been able to get away with murder (literally) and that has to stop. OAT needs to be written with transparency and public input.
This was proposed as an independent, investigative, transparent, and community driven. In seven months, community organizers were never invited to the table to write this policy. This is an undeniable betrayal of what was promised, and you've twisted this idea into a more dangerous body under the guise of a fake, anemic investigative authority. Cops will never fairly grade cops. We demand that NO current or former officers or family members of officers be allowed to work at the OAT ever.
This is a farce! When community backed civilian oversight in February, it was because we were promised oversight that was independent, investigative, transparent, and community driven. Seven months later we’re finding out you wrote a policy without us, and are trying to give us fake, weak investigative authority. This dangerous and manipulative disfigurement of the community’s intentions must be stopped. Our lives depend on it.
City Council pushing to hire cops to OAT to oversee their cop friends is anti-Black and white supremacist. City council has cut out the community from the policy drafting process because they know for a fact that we don’t want cops in OAT! Delay the vote and implement our community oriented process. Something is NOT better than nothing when our lives are on the line!
If civilian oversight doesn’t have the ability to do independent investigations, it’s doing more harm than good, and we can’t implement that.
Putting civilian oversight in place that doesn’t have the power to initiate independent investigations is a slap in the face to victims of police violence and their families. Writing this policy behind closed doors shows us the city never had any intention of increasing police transparency or accountability.
Without the power to hold independent investigations, OAT/CRB is toothless. This proposal was developed behind closed doors, leaving out the community members and organizers who worked tirelessly to achieve the establishment of OAT/CRB. As an example: there is no process outlined here for community members to have a voice in who is appointed as director, or who will serve as a member. Delay the vote and implement a community oriented process with organizers at the table.
Council members, please do not make the fatal mistake of failing to meaningfully empower this oversight panel. As it stands, this group is nominal at best. Police have little real accountability to them if they cannot independently investigate. Please fix this flaw before more lives are recklessly taken.
* It is unacceptable that Council removed independent investigations and community participation from OAT/CRB. Black and brown people are still being targeted, harassed, and killed by Phx police. Cutting our voices out of this process shows you never cared about our health and safety- you only cared about your image.
Phx Pd is making false arrests and charges against peaceful protesters who are demanding an end to police violence. Without true oversight our community and our constitutional rights are under attack.
If the civilian oversight policy doesn’t have independent investigations and community participation in the policy writing, we’re asking Council to delay the vote until they get it right and honor our clear demands. Something is NOT better than nothing when our lives are on the line.
Thank you.
To propose a Civilian Review Board with no investigative power is a premeditated insult to civilians who have lost their lives to police violence, as well as civilians who live in fear of losing their lives to a deadly police force because that police force operates with no measure of justice or accountability. Additionally, police sympathizers also have no place in the staff employed to investigate police actions in the OAT. A borderline that favors police violence is a gateway for dominance.
It is unacceptable that Council removed independent investigations and community participation from OAT/CRB. If civilian oversight doesn’t have the ability to do independent investigations it’s doing more harm than good. Delay the vote and implement a community oriented process.
Keep police and police sympathizers out of the staff employed under OAT. They are not and will not ever be impartial. Stop playing political games with the lives of our community members. We deserve better than this. We all deserve leadership that will stand up for the people. You are representatives of the people so do what we keep saying you need to do. We know our best interest.
Thank you.
Putting civilian oversight in place that doesn’t have the power to initiate independent investigations is a slap in the face to victims of police violence and their families. Writing this policy behind closed doors shows us the city never had any intention of increasing police transparency or accountability.
Sec.20-10.D.- Ind. Inv. If the OAT determines that an investigation is still not thorough and complete, even after submitting a separate written recommendation to the Police Chief & City Manager, who makes the final determination? Sec.20–12.B.–OAT Access to Records. Should have an appeal or FOIA process for any material unable to produce to the OAT. Sec.20-1.C should require the OAT to monitor and participate in a minimum percentage of all cases.
Putting civilian oversight in place that doesn’t have the power to initiate independent investigations is a slap in the face to victims of police violence and their families. Writing this policy behind closed doors shows us the city never had any intention of increasing police transparency or accountability.
It is the common people's duty to police the police. The police are often as corrupt as the corporate government that employs them.
An office of accountability is meaningless if it relies on the very system they are investigating for the mechanisms of that accountability. This is a betrayal of the community's hard work to create true civilian oversight of the Phoenix Police. City council specifically stated earlier in the year that oversight would be independent and this proposal rescinds that statement. Absolutely do not allow police to oversee their own investigations.
Putting civilian oversight in place that doesn’t have the power to initiate independent investigations is a slap in the face to victims of police violence and their families. Writing this policy behind closed doors shows us the city never had any intention of increasing police transparency or accountability. Cops aren’t civilians. Don’t put them on the civilian oversight committee.
When the community backed civilian oversight in February, it was because we were promised oversight that was independent, investigative, and community-driven. Seven months later we discover you wrote a policy without us, and are trying to inject police into the very office meant to provide oversight over police misconduct. This is a terribly harmful and destructive conflict of interest, and amounts to the exact opposite of accountability and transparency.