On July 21, 2021, the Arlington County Board established the Community Oversight Board (COB) and Independent Policing Auditor position. In an effort to improve transparency, accountability, and community trust in the Arlington County Police Department, the COB will have the ability to independently receive, investigate, and make recommendations in response to complaints from the community. The ordinance also calls for an accompanying Independent Policing Auditor to support the work of the Community Oversight Board.
The Oversight Board consists of seven voting members and two non-voting members with prior experience in law enforcement. All COB members are residents of Arlington, are appointed by the County Board, and reflect the demographic diversity of the County. The COB members were appointed on March 22nd, 2022.
Background Materials:
Police Practices Group
In 2019, the County Manager launched a 15 member Police Practices Group (PPG) in July 2020. The PPG divided into four subcommittees to address key issues of importance, one of which was a subcommittee charged with evaluating what type of civilian oversight of its police department Arlington County should implement. The Civilian Review Board (CRB) subcommittee focused on reviewing the different models of civilian oversight available as well as what authority and responsibilities the recommended civilian oversight body should possess.
PPG Products related to Civilian Review Board