Office of Police Oversight grows by two, begins community outreach

At the Jan. 7 meeting of the Public Safety Commission, Police Monitor Farah Muscadin introduced her team’s two new community engagement specialists. “It’s going to be really important that we get out to the community ASAP,” she said. To assist in her community outreach mission, she noted that “we’ll also have two college students that will work with (the new hires) on the community engagement team.” The goal is to provide the community with more information than they were receiving under the Office of the Police Monitor – now known as the Office of Police Oversight. In the new office, Muscadin said that in an effort to review cases, “we’re going to do a preliminary review of every external complaint … we’re going to be able to look at the police reports and any videos.” Additionally, per the new city ordinance, the new office will report on processes and results of investigations, APD policies and procedures, make recommendations to the police chief for discipline, conduct random assessments on the use of force and body cameras, and report findings annually to the public and to City Council. “I’m hoping the days of not knowing about (the Office of the Police Monitor) are over,” she said.