PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona city officials have begun considering options for new civilian oversight of the Phoenix Police Department amid multiple officer-involved shooting cases, officials said.
The Phoenix City Council held its first work-study session Tuesday to discuss possible oversight options in response to a recent increase in police shootings that have made national headlines and angered citizens.
Liana Perez with the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement presented three potential models during the three-hour meeting, city officials said.
The first option included reviewing completed police investigations, which could cost between $994,600 and $1,723,300.
The second option included assigning an auditor who could take complaints and decide how a case would be assigned for investigation and what the plan is to investigate that complaint, Perez said. The auditor model could cost between $1,054,600 and $2,258,200.
The final option would cost between $2,360,000 and $3,423,500 and involve creating an oversight entity that handles an investigation from start to finish and requires more resources. Costs would vary depending on size and scope of each of the models, Assistant City Manager Milton Dohoney said.
"As promised in July, the city council held its first work study session on civilian oversight options today. Staff presented months of extensive research on what three oversight models would look like in Phoenix. This research also covered what the legal ramifications for each model were, including whether they would require a city election to implement," Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said. "This is a process, and it needs to be a deliberate one where we are gathering input and understanding what can and should be done."
A second City Council work-study session has been scheduled for Oct. 15.
