Councilor Wendy Luzon asked the Public Safety Committee on Sept. 10 to forward a request for an independent audit of the Lawrence Police Department to the full City Council, citing leadership turnover and community concerns. "An audit will allow us to ensure financial accountability by reviewing the use of taxpayer dollars over overtime expenditures and grant management," Luzon wrote in an emailed statement she read into the record.

The committee’s chair, City Councilor Anna Levy, said the chief was present and the city attorney had been invited but was not in attendance. Police Chief Aguilar told the panel he welcomes an independent audit and described it as "consistent with best practices" after a period of leadership transition. "I want to be completely accountable and completely transparent, with you, with the community," Aguilar said.

The committee focused on two practical hurdles: who would pay for the audit and what the scope would include. Councilor Del Rosario and others asked whether the mayor had committed funding in writing; Luzon said the mayor had promised to pay but that the committee had no written confirmation. Ramona Savalos, the acting chief administrative and financial officer, said the cost "is hard to tell without knowing the exact scope of work" and that auditors would need a precisely defined scope to provide a quote.

Committee members also discussed procurement. Del Rosario noted that if the audit cost exceeded procurement thresholds the city would need to solicit bids; Savalos told the committee that accounting services of this type generally do not require a formal bid and that the city’s current external auditors could provide a proposal if the committee chose to use them.

Rather than send the matter directly to the full council, the committee voted to table the item and asked staff to convene the mayor, the city attorney, Councilor Luzon and the police chief to agree on a scope, funding source and whether the work should be staged in parts. Councilor Levy moved to table; Councilor Del Rosario seconded. The motion passed in a roll call vote.

The committee also asked that any written commitment from the mayor about funding be provided before the item returns for action.

What happens next: committee staff were tasked to schedule a meeting with the mayor’s office, the city attorney, Chief Aguilar and Councilor Luzon to define audit scope and funding and report back to the committee. No formal audit contract or procurement action was authorized at the Sept. 10 meeting.

Council-level context: Luzon told the committee the request followed what she described as five chiefs in under four years. She said the community deserves transparency on finances, overtime and grant management; the committee did not adopt a scope or authorize spending.