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At the regular council meeting on May 6, 2025, Olympia City Council unanimously voted to contract with OIR Group as the City's new civilian police audit review team.
This spring Michael Gennaco, Stephen Connoly and Sam Pailca will transition into the roll of Olympia's civilian police auditor. Between them, the 3-person team will perform the following duties for Olympia, which include responsibilities that expand beyond the role of previous City auditors:
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Review and make recommendations on Olympia Police Department policies and trainings
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Review complaints, uses of force incidents, internal investigations and crowd management plans
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Engage with the Community Board expected to be formed and in place by September 2025
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Report back to the community, along with community listening sessions
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Provide a mid-year and annual audit report to the Olympia City Council
The OIR Group team will report directly to the City Council. The aim is to support continuous policing improvement through accurate and timely data on policing outcomes. They will serve the council as an independent, civilian auditor team unconnected to any law enforcement agency. This approach ensures fair and impartial objectivity.
OIR Group Principal Michael Gennaco brings decades of experience working with offices of independent review and law enforcement agencies from across the nation. That work has spanned the audit, monitoring and review of law enforcement agencies, alongside work to advise law enforcement agencies on constitutional policing issues, critical incident reviews, internal affairs investigations and effective oversight processes.
Stephen Connolly, also with the OIR Group, has served as both an independent review team executive director and member. He has extensive law enforcement policy development and internal review systems experience.
The final team member, Sam Pailca, is particularly knowledgeable of Washington State policing law, professional standards, and internal investigation best practices. She has worked with many of this state's largest law enforcement agencies and will act in partnership with the OIR Groups as a subcontractor to meet Olympia's needs.
The City of Olympia began its auditor recruitment process in Fall 2024. A request for candidates was then vetted by members of the City Manager's Office, Social justice and Equity Commission, Olympia Police Department and Community Use of Force Board. City Council Community Livability and Public Safety committee members completed interviews, simultaneous with background and reference reviews, and brought forth OIR Group to the full council as their recommended provider.
Contracting with OIR Group in this expanded auditor role continues the voluntary efforts the City has undertaken to enhance Olympia's community involvement in law enforcement. Council's action on Tuesday continues implementation of recommendations from last year's collaborative project between the Social Justice and Equity Commission, a community work group and members of the Olympia Police Department to enhance Olympia's police oversight systems.
Community Involvement and Oversight System as Recommended by Community Oversight of Law Enforcement Process:
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