Arlington County Board is seeking applications from residents interested in serving as part of the County’s new Community Oversight Board (COB) that will have independent oversight and increase transparency and collaboration with the Arlington County Police Department. This volunteer oversight board will work directly with an accompanying Independent Policing Auditor, who will be hired at a later date. https://departments.arlingtonva.us/cmo/police-practices-work-group/proposed-law-enforcement-civilian-review-board-and-independent-policing-auditor/ View the complete ordinance in the Arlington County Code. “The Community Oversight Board is a critical step forward for Arlington. We heard from hundreds of residents who asked for the additional transparency and oversight that this board envisions,” said Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti. “Today we are calling for applications to serve on the Oversight Board in order to build and strengthen trust with our entire community. Our County Manager, Police Chief, and officers support this work, and we look forward to reviewing the applications and getting the board started over the coming months.” The police oversight board will consist of seven voting members who are residents of the County and reflect the demographic diversity of the County as well as two non-voting members with prior experience in law enforcement, all of whom will be appointed by the County Board. This oversight board and an Independent Auditor/Monitor will be charged with conducting concurrent investigations where warranted, reviewing citizen complaints, performing policy reviews, and recommending/reviewing police disciplinary actions where appropriate, among other duties. Those interested in serving on the COB may complete an application form online https://countyboard.arlingtonva.us/community-oversight-board-application/ Applications will be received through Nov. 12. County Board members will then review applications before appointing the inaugural COB members with the goal of the oversight board beginning its work in Spring 2022. Once appointed, the Community Oversight Board members will assist the county manager in the recruitment and selection of the Independent Policing Auditor. Arlington County has also joined NACOLE – the National Association of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement – which provided training for the County Board and staff and recommendations on effective practices for soliciting and selecting members of the new oversight board. |