10/01/2025 - Council Appoints Community Policing Board

At the regular council meeting on September 30, 2025, City Council unanimously voted to approve the following recommended appointments for the newly established Community Policing Board:

• Reiko Callner
• Elizabeth Drake
• Adan Espino
• Anita Kraft
• Sarah Nagy
• Lisa Ostler
• Robin Rosen-Evans

The seven-member board will provide input and community perspectives to the Civilian Police Auditor on their regular reports and recommendations for updates to Olympia Police Department policy, training and operations. Board members will also serve as community representatives on the Capital Metro Independent Investigations Team and Olympia Police Department Internal Use of Force Review Board for officer-involved critical incidents.

The new Community Policing Board members bring with them a diversity of lived and professional experience. The four board members who previously served as Community Representatives for Police Use of Force Events also bring previous experience from having participated in past independent investigations and use of force reviews. Another board member role is the support of community engagement and education initiatives; including participation in the Community Oversight of Law Enforcement Open House on October 16, 2025.

You can join the newly appointed Community Policing Board members and new Civilian Police Auditor team to learn more about the role of these programs and join in community conversations around future community engagement and education initiatives for these programs.

Community Oversight of Law Enforcement Open House
Thursday, October 16, 2025
6:30 to 8 p.m.
Council Chambers, Olympia City Hall
601 4th Ave East, Olympia WA

Caregivers are welcome to bring children. If you would benefit from an accessibility accommodation, if possible, please contact us at least five days in advance of the meeting. 

Background

The Community Policing Board replaces and broadens the responsibilities undertaken by community representatives who previously served on a Police Use of Force Events Board, and carries forward a series of 2024 Social Justice and Equity Commission recommendations designed to enhance Olympia's current community involvement and police oversight systems. The new Board also furthers Olympia's efforts to implement strategies and actions identified in a 2023 Reimagining Public Safety process.

In March of this year, the Council approved updates to the Olympia Municipal Code (OMC) 2.100 replacing the Community Representatives for Police Use of Force Events with the Community Policing Board. In May, the City launched a recruitment process for the board. In August, the Council Community Livability and Public Safety Committee conducted interviews of prospective board members and selected applicants to be recommended to the full Council for appointment.