City Seeking Ombudsman Commission Applicants for District 2 Seat
Brian Coddington, 509.625.6740
Tuesday, September 26, 2017 at 2:32 p.m.
The City of Spokane is seeking applicants for the District 2 seat on the Police Ombudsman Commission. Applicants must live within City Council District 2 to be considered for the three-year term.
Applications for the position will be accepted until the position is filled. Materials can be emailed to hallers@spokanecity.org or mailed to the attention of the City Council at 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201. Review of the applications is expected to begin on October 16.
The five-member commission oversees the Office of the Police Ombudsman, including appointment, reappointment and potential removal of the ombudsman, approval of annual and long-term goals of the office, and recommendations regarding changes in police department policies and training.
Qualifications for the commissioner position must be:
- A current resident of the city of Spokane;
- 21 years or older;
- Able to pass an in-depth background investigation and have no convictions for crimes involving dishonesty or moral turpitude within the past seven years; and
- Neither a current or former employee of the City of Spokane or Spokane police department, nor an immediate family member of a current City of Spokane or Spokane police department employee.
- Able to establish a reputation for even-handedness in dealing with both complainants and the regulated parties.
The following characteristics shall be considered during the appointment process:
- An absence of any real or perceived bias, prejudice, or conflict of interest;
- A record of community involvement;
- A demonstrated ability to be fair, impartial and unbiased;
- An ability to build working relationships and communicate effectively with diverse groups;
- Education, professional and/or personal experience including but not limited to judicial, legal, investigative, mental health and law enforcement experiences with the exception that a commission member shall not have been a law enforcement officer for two years prior to his or her appointment;
- Contribute to the diversity of the commission so that the makeup of the commission reflects the diversity of the people most likely to have contact with members of the police department, including geographic, racial and disability diversity.
