Olympia is seeking residents to serve on new Community Policing Board

The City of Olympia is looking for people to serve on the newly established Community Policing Board, which will work alongside the city’s Civilian Police Auditor to bring more public involvement to law enforcement.

According to a May 15 news release from the city, staff are looking for people to apply to fill one of three positions on the board. Applicants are due by 5 p.m. Friday, July 11. The city is specifically seeking community members with diverse, lived experiences and perspectives.

Board members will work closely with the Civilian Police Auditor to provide community perspectives on their reports and recommendations. The board will collaborate with them on engagement and education initiatives to better understand community priorities and values around policing and the City’s oversight system.

In the event of an officer’s use of deadly force or other critical incident, board members may be called to serve as community representatives on the regional Capitol Metro Independent Investigations Team and/or the Olympia Police Department’s Internal Use of Force Review Board.

Successful applicants are required to complete a background check that meets Criminal Justice Information Service requirements. Membership terms run for three years.

Find more details and apply on the city’s website.

Ty Vinson

The Olympian

360-357-0201

Ty Vinson covers the City of Olympia and keeps tabs on Tumwater and other communities in Thurston County. He joined The Olympian in 2021. Before that, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. In college, he worked as an intern at the Northwest Indiana Times, the Oregonian and the Arizona Republic as a Pulliam Fellow. Support my work with a digital subscription