COLORADO SPRINGS — The Colorado Springs City Council reviewed over 800 volunteer applications for the police accountability board and has moved 100 of those applications forward to the next phase.
The council approved unanimously an ordinance earlier this month that created the Law Enforcement Transparency and Accountability Committee.
Ultimately, there will be 11 members on the committee. Councilmember David Geislinger previously told News5 that the council is cautiously optimistic those members will be finalized by late August.
“The Council was very impressed by the quality and quantity of the applications,” said Richard Skorman, City Council President. “It was an exceptionally difficult decision on who should proceed in the selection process. I want to personally thank everyone who took the time to apply and has shown interest in this important new Commission.”
The People 719 is the group that brought this proposal to council originally. They describe their organization as a group of young, diverse students, fighting injustices in their environment. "How do we make this foot in the door turn into multiple situations of social change, and not just one?" said Renee Alexander, one of the organizers of The People 719.
Throughout this process, many have expressed a need for urgency with this committee. However, the current timeline of the project shows members being finalized by late August, and meeting shortly after that. Still, organizers said they understand the need to form this committee carefully.
Now, the 100 applicants that the council has moved forward in the selection process are asked to fill out a questionnaire so that councilmembers can learn more about them. The city council will discuss the selection process during their Aug. 10 work session.
