Boulder Reporting Lab: Boulder’s Police Oversight Panel is questioning whether it can fulfill its mission of reviewing complaints of officer misconduct following a series of actions and interpretations from the City Attorney’s Office that panel members say restrict their authority.

In recent months, the city has narrowed which cases the panel can review, denied its request to hire independent legal counsel, and told members they cannot meet privately to discuss those disputes. Panel members said this sequence of events has left them feeling increasingly constrained.

“It’s been very challenging because what we see is this trend of reducing the panel’s ability to fulfill the role,” panel co-chair Maria Soledad-Diaz said. “So we are in this very difficult, difficult spot.” 

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