After pausing case reviews last year due to political controversy, Boulder’s Police Oversight Panel is recommending a broad set of reforms for the city’s police department, including updates to training, handling of sexual harassment cases and coordination with licensed clinicians in the city’s co-responder program.
These recommendations are part of the panel’s annual report, released this month, which summarizes its review of internal investigations into complaints of officer misconduct. In 2023, the panel reviewed 20 investigations, with most of the allegations deemed unfounded or not sustained due to insufficient evidence.
The report details the department’s handling of accountability, citing two cases where officers resigned following sexual harassment allegations from subordinate officers. These cases, among others, are central to the panel’s push for policy changes aimed at increasing transparency and accountability within the department.
The report also reflects a resumption of the panel’s work after the 2023 moratorium. The pause came after the Boulder City Council removed a panelist over allegations of bias against police, which led to a new ordinance partially designed to shield the panel from political interference.
On Thursday, Oct. 24, city officials briefed the Boulder City Council on the status of the Police Oversight Panel. Councilmembers were pleased with the report, the work underway and the progress being made.
“This is such an incredible report that really models just how much work it takes to create a meaningful Boulder Police Oversight Panel,” said Councilmember Taishya Adams, who was also an inaugural member of the panel.
In 2023, the police department received 37 complaints involving 136 allegations of misconduct, of which 20 were sustained. Two notable cases led to officers’ resignations following internal investigations into sexual harassment complaints.
In one case, from 2020, an officer made comments about “sex acts” they wanted to have with another officer they were training. Both the Police Oversight Panel and former Police Chief Maris Herold sustained the allegations and recommended termination. The officer resigned in February 2023. In another case, in 2022, a sergeant had sexual relationships with two officers, one of whom was a trainee, without reporting it. The panel and Herold recommended termination. The officer resigned in October 2022.
Following these cases, the panel recommended updates to the city’s non-discrimination and anti-harassment policy, including clearer guidelines on mandated reporting, protection against retaliation and the investigation process. The panel also called for an anonymous tip line for reporting concerns related to gender, sex or workplace relationships. According to the report, the department is developing an internal sexual harassment policy and reviewing systems for reporting such incidents.
In addition to sexual harassment reforms, the panel made several other recommendations, including improving communication with families of homicide victims, enhancing de-escalation training during traffic stops and better documentation of domestic violence cases. The panel also called for expanding the city’s Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT) to operate 24 hours a day. The 2025 budget did not allocate additional funding for this, according to a city official. City data on the program indicates the current hours are well aligned with demand, the official said.
The report indicates a general willingness from the department to adopt several recommendations. Independent Police Monitor Sherry Daun said the department has agreed to create a case tracking system, document whether complainants have stable housing and establish clearer guidelines for more timely complaint handling, among other reforms.
“Seeing the tangible results of civilian oversight manifested in recent BPD policy heartened me that Boulder’s system of police oversight provided a voice for the community to spark change,” Daun wrote in the report. “Enjoying new stability of the oversight system and seeing the positive impact provided a hopeful end to an eventful 2023.”
While the panel and police leadership largely agree on how to handle complaints, the report highlights instances where their conclusions differed. In one case, officers stopped the wrong vehicle during a stolen car investigation, leading to a complaint of excessive force. The panel sustained the complaint and recommended written reprimands, but the police chief exonerated the officers and issued an apology to the driver, according to the report.
In another case, officers attended a city council meeting in uniform while their union representative argued that oversight panel candidates had not been properly vetted for bias. The panel sustained allegations that the officers violated department rules on engaging in political activities while on duty and recommended reprimands. The police chief opted for verbal counseling instead.
The police monitor also recommended a new policy governing when officers can attend community or political meetings while on duty. The department agreed to review the policy while ensuring union members’ rights are protected.
The 2023 report marks a partial return to normalcy for the panel, which paused case reviews last year to help draft the new ordinance governing its work and the appointment process for new members. The panel also approved new bylaws earlier this year. No annual report was published last year for 2022 cases.
Despite the panel’s recent efforts and reforms, its workload continues to grow. In 2023, 37 cases of misconduct were filed with the city, but as of late summer 2024, that number had already risen to 66.
So, about 15% of complaints were legitimate (20 out of 137). I doubt there are more than a few police departments nationwide that have as good a record, and we must bear in mind always the organized anti-police forces at work here in Boulder, CO.
Well she Max! Instead of wasting precious money on a silly panel add more officers. We need a safe Boulder again! 👮♂️👮♀️
Sexual assault and harassment is silly? What other types of police misconduct are fine for you?
Of course not, do you think our city is safe roxy? 🤔
Safe compared to what? It’s safe compared to most places I’ve lived. But the Safer Boulder fanbase trusts that the natural order of things is to keep the barbarian hordes out of sight so as not to disturb the privilege of the wealthy, so it never feels as safe as it should be to them. Shooting lots of people has been the way to maintain the social hierarchy in the capitalist world system. Plenty of examples in history. But the increasingly extreme wealth inequality in this country has disenfranchised way too many people now. Can’t shoot or arrest our way out of this fine mess.