TEMPE, AZ — The City of Tempe held the first meeting of a new subcommittee focused on oversight at the Tempe Public Library on Monday night in a new step to increase community involvement in public safety and transparency.
The subcommittee's work will center on evaluating progress in implementing recommendations of the Public Safety Advisory Task Force that ran from 2020-2021, along with reviewing policies on 911 responses, de-escalation and use of force.
The city noted community calls for more transparency on public safety issues in response to recent incidents surrounding police use of force and law enforcement technology.
The forming of the subcommittee follows the July arrest of ASU student Eryn Bonner on Mill Avenue and the city's recent decision to cancel its contract for automated license plate readers from Flock Safety.
Community stakeholders raised questions of trust between the public and law enforcement, what the process for accountability looks like, and how that's measured.
Tempe Police Officer Liliana Duran, executive officer to Chief Ken McCoy, gave a presentation on the city's citizen review panel with details on how community members currently provide independent oversight and review of complaints against officers. The city is taking applications for volunteers to join the panel.
Councilmember Bobby Nichols, who launched the subcommittee, serves as its chair, with Mayor Corey Woods and Councilmember Brooke St. George serving as members.
