City Council approves changes to Citizens Police Review Board

City Council approves changes to Citizens Police Review Board

Following several community meetings, the collaboration of over a dozen internal and external stakeholder groups and input from City officials, the Dallas City Council approved changes to the Citizens Police Review Board at the April 24 Council Agenda Meeting, Item 3. The changes include a renaming the Review Board to Community Police Oversight Board (CPOB), a new Office of Community Police Oversight (OPO) located in the City Manager’s Office to support the CPOB with full time staff and increased investigative power to the OPO and CPOB.

The new OPO will have paid staff to support the CPOB in its police oversight mission, as well as a new community engagement and outreach function. In addition, the OPO will be able to monitor Departmental investigations of external complaints, as well as conduct independent investigations on behalf of the CPOB. During an independent investigation, the OPO will be able to subpoena civilians and require officers to provide a statement, following Garrity guidelines established by the Chief of Police. The OPO will also monitor all critical incidents to ensure investigations are comprehensive, objective, impartial, and consistent with appropriate investigative protocols.

The OPO investigators will give the CPOB an update at the conclusion of any administrative and criminal investigations. The Chief of Police will determine the final disposition of any investigation and decide what discipline is necessary.

The full briefing and plan for the CPOB can be found here. The full text of the ordinance approved by the City Council can be found here.

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