Public Safety Group Let Residents Raise Questions and Concerns
January 23, 2007 - The Citizen Oversight Board (COB) holds its first meeting of 2007 in Northeast Denver on Thursday, January 25, 2007 from 7-9 p.m. The meeting will be at Hiawatha Davis Recreation Center located at 3334 Holly St. (on Holly just north of MLK Blvd). Each session of the COB moves to a different police district so that all communities have a convenient opportunity to participate. The January meeting is in Police District Two. District Commander Rhonda Jones will attend along with her command staff. The meeting will be recorded and played later on Denver 8 TV.
These meetings provide community members with an opportunity to pose questions regarding public safety issues and to relay concerns. James Mejia, Project Manager for Denver's Justice Center, will be reporting on the status of the facility and answering questions. Director of Corrections Bill Lovingier and Major Kielar of the Denver Sheriff Department will also be available to answer questions. Richard Rosenthal, the Independent Monitor, will discuss the work of the Office of the Independent Monitor (OIM). City Councilwomen Elbra Wedgeworth and Marcia Johnson will also be in attendance.
The COB invites the public to visit its website at www.denvergov.org/cob for additional information
About the COB
The Citizen Oversight Board is comprised of seven volunteers appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by Denver City Council. The COB is part of Denver’s civilian oversight of law enforcement. It meets regularly with the Office of Independent Monitor (OIM), Director of Corrections, Police Chief, Fire Chief, and Manager of Safety in order to engage in early and proactive involvement in monitoring public safety issues. The COB has the jurisdiction to make recommendations regarding police and sheriff policies and procedures, and it evaluates the effectiveness of the OIM program.
By ordinance, the COB must hold at least four public meetings each year. The purpose of these meetings is to allow the public an opportunity to address issues of concern in their communities. The COB will take this information into account when formulating policy recommendations with the intent of improving the services provided by the safety departments.
Prepared by AJ Clemmons, Community Relations Ombudsman
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