Olympia is seeking public input on draft recommendations to enhance the community's involvement in overseeing law enforcement.
At the February 13 city council meeting, Strategic Planning and Performance Director Stacey Ray announced the launch of an online survey on the proposals in Engage Olympia. The survey will be open until March 4.
Ray recalled that the city council approved recommendations to Reimagine Public Safety. One of the strategies in the recommendations included expanding the community's role in the city's public safety system.
She said a subcommittee of the Social Justice and Equity Commission, an 11-member community work group, and a representative from the Olympia Police Department launched a process to learn about community involvement and oversight in policing and develop a set of draft recommendations.
Some key recommendations include:
"The draft recommendations they have developed build off of the city's current system of the community involved in oversight and are intended to enhance trust and legitimacy while expanding the community's role in ensuring accountability and transparency," Ray said.
According to Ray, the survey will provide committee members with several ways to learn about the recommendations. It will include a visual graphic highlighting the proposed new system of community oversight of law enforcement. Short videos and plain language summaries will also help residents understand proposed changes.
"Our intent is to learn from community members if the recommendations and where they're currently in the process reflect what Olympians value and what they would expect in a system of community involvement in oversight," Ray noted.
Community members can click the following links to read the draft and participate in the survey.
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AugieH
So, now we can expect micromanagement of the police by a committee? That's the job of the Chief of Police. Hire a good one and make him responsible to whoever hired him.
Monday, February 19 Report this
JulesJames
Any person serving on a police oversight committee needs to commit to regularly listening to the dispatch scanners, taking ride-alongs with officers and volunteering for shifts in the jails. Oversight of incidents involving police conduct without understanding the flow of the work and the criminals is inherently mismanagement.
Tuesday, February 20 Report this
FordPrefect
For the love of God, let the cops do their job. Our town needs proactive police and this charade is only going to make it tougher.
Jules is right on target here. Do a ride along if you think that all cops are bastards. I’ve never seen a city council so hell-bent on dismantling law and order. Can we do something that supports the residents and LOCAL businesses instead of pandering to criminals?
Tuesday, February 20 Report this
OlyGuy
Thanks Ford. You make a good point. I don't understand the reason that this city appears to prioritize the health and safety of the homeless and the criminals at the expense of residents and businesses. Too bad no one votes around here.
Tuesday, February 20 Report this
SaraLynn
I think that most police do their jobs well and care about the communities that they serve. They do not need to be micro-managed, or if they do that is the job of the leadership (Sheriff / Police Chief) in the various departments. That being said, there have been some recent news reports that highlight problems in law enforcement - the death of Manny Ellis, the woman with a brain bleed left on the floor of the Thurston County Jail and denied immediate medical attention while being mocked by jail staff, and of course the very corrupt, violent, and abusive JBLM Police who have repeatedly demonstrated a complete disregard for the civil rights and liberties of the surrounding civilian communities. When you have good leadership in a department you don't need an external oversight committee. When you have poor or no leadership in a department (i.e., the JBLM Police) then we absolutely need external oversight. Do we need a special oversight committee for Oly PD? - well, probably not. Do we need more transparency from our local departments, and protection from JBLM Police violence and abuse? - Absolutely!
Tuesday, February 20 Report this
Boatyarddog
In Olympias Past Mis management ran rampant.Chief
Ronnie Roberts retirement in 2019 stepped down with some VERY Pertanant Comments about the Actions of OPD.
Myself as a Protester the in Past
Was Subjected to quite a Few " instances" where my Constitutional Rights were violated.
OPD has some BAD actors in there.
SaraLynn is CORRECT the Most vunerable populations are Homeless and Elderly, so.e of which are Homeless as well.
I Welcome Police Monitoring.
As well it can be educational
To the Public.
Thank you to our New improved City Council....
You want Trouble with the cops again... abusing the Citizens?
maybe SELBYS YOUR ticket.
ACAB No!
But monitoring HELL YES!
Tuesday, February 20 Report this
Lolaandrea
I agree with the comments above. Micromanaging the police sounds pretty ineffective and absurd.
Tuesday, February 20 Report this
FordPrefect
Boatyarddog, I have great news! The city council wants people just like you to demonstrate public support to foist this idiotic plan on OPD. Maybe you should do their online survey. You could even craft a proposal in the same vein as your comment here. Take comfort in knowing that no matter what you write, or how incoherently you write it, the city agrees with you and your prayers will soon be answered.
As for the rest of us, we’ll work hard and keep paying our taxes to have the privilege of watching our town be slowly destroyed by fools.
Wednesday, February 21 Report this
Boatyarddog
Fordperfect
Thank you for your comment.
Possibly direct YOUR derogatory stance to the ISSUES AT HAND and NOT attack others opinions!
THIS is what true Democracy is.
Exchanging ideas and working for Olympias betterment.
NOT ranting about others comments.
I'm sure your comments WILL be heard by our Much needed and Welcomed City Council.
As I'm Not a city resident, I'm not qualified to be on that advisory committee.
MAYBE YOU.?
Wednesday, February 21 Report this
FordPrefect
I just cannot make any sense of your comments and I’m truly ashamed that I took the bait. Nobody writes that poorly on purpose. It’s almost as if you’re copying translation from Russian or Chinese.
Enjoy trolling the internet wherever you are… assuming you are a real person. If you’re just an AI bot, have your minders tweak the grammar/punctuation knob up a few clicks, it should get more traction.
If I’m wrong and you’re truly from the area, you (and the city council for that matter) have some serious growing up to do. Don’t take my word for it, go ride with the cops you dislike so much. Monitor them until your heart’s content. You’ll probably discover they are hard working and dedicated folks that genuinely care about this community. Bot or not, it’s annoying to see the council backing voices like this rather than the police.
But hey, the town is doing great! There’s a fresh drug encampment popping up along Henderson in the last few weeks. Graffiti on the Capitol Blvd bridge over I-5 NB greeting 150,000 daily motorists to our fair city. I wonder why the police don’t feel empowered to intervene. How obvious do the festering wounds have to be for the council to realize their policies are to blame?
Wednesday, February 21 Report this
Boatyarddog
Well Buddy,
I'm for real.
Understanding everyone's reasoning isn't for Trollers!
As you have admitted doing that!
Opinions are emotional, but Not necessarily the Facts.
Have you heard ExPolice Chiefs words about the lack of oversight in OPD
I do not take anyone's words for truth.
As for expressing oneself appropriately.
You lack communications skills friend, Trolling is NOT mature behavior.
I have reported these demeaning,derogatory remarks to the Jolt.
They may decide your ability to continue these comments, you've admitted Trolling a other's comments,they MAY have reason to delete yours.
And, should block you from executing MORE comments.
Have a better day friend.
Wednesday, February 21 Report this
FordPrefect
Your style of arguing is precisely what I expect from a self-described protester. Just shout about nothing substantial and make sure that reasonable people can’t be heard.
The irony of a guy who doesn’t trust cops that needs to call upon the JOLT’s “comment police”…
I’m all set with this one. I think we lost the original point along the way and I’m not going to convince you that you can and should trust law enforcement. I won’t reply again. Maybe I’m blocked… who knows?
Wednesday, February 21 Report this
Boatyarddog
FordPrefect
This was YOUR Choice.
I'm Pro cop, but know we Citizens need a voice as well.
Your really Not reasonable, if you were you were, you would not be trying to bully someone to see your point.
That's Never Going to work.
If you would look at previous comments of mine,
I denounce ACAB
We need a Police force and we need to monitor their activities.
As far as spelling it's correct enough that you got my drift....
Your One of those Snobros i'm guessing!
Wednesday, February 21 Report this
WayTooOld
It’s about time. If we have good cops that are effectively doing their jobs, that would be wonderful to get confirmation on. If we don’t, it’d be nice to know so we can fix that.
Thursday, February 22 Report this