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Civilian Oversight Board warns budget cuts will slow misconduct investigations and outreach
Summary
The Division of Civilian Oversight told the Budget & Public Employees Committee that proposed staffing and line‑item cuts for fiscal 2026 would worsen a backlog of complaints, reduce community engagement capacity and limit access to investigative tools and independent counsel.
Dr. Barbara Milen, commissioner of the St. Louis City Division of Civilian Oversight, told the Budget and Public Employees Committee on May 12 that the division’s proposed fiscal‑year 2026 budget contains cuts that would shrink staffing and reduce community engagement and investigative capacity. "The mission of our of the division of civilian oversight is to strengthen the integrity and increase public confidence in the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and detention facilities located within the city of Saint Louis by promoting transparency, fairness, and public accountability," Milen said while outlining the office’s work.
Why it matters: the office investigates public complaints about police and detention facilities and provides findings and disciplinary recommendations. Committee members pressed the commissioner on the division’s reduced headcount and on how quickly the office can complete investigations; staff warned the reduction would slow the review of complaints and limit community outreach.
The commissioner said the division currently has 11 employees and requested 17 positions for FY26; the proposed city budget would fund 12. Milen told the committee that the proposed cut would specifically hurt community engagement and a client services position that supports survivors and families. Legal investigator positions proposed for FY26 were also at risk: "Investigators are needed to address the backlog of complaints and to address the continued number of complaints received within the city," Milen said.
Louisa Lyles, legal investigator II with the division, provided complaint counts to the committee. "The total number of complaints we have never covered the complaints from the Justice Center as well as the police department, comes to 753 total," Lyles said, then gave year‑by‑year police complaint counts (155 in 2021; 126 in 2022; 181 in 2023; 197 in 2024; about 75 so far for 2025) and detention facility counts for 2022–2024. She said the office has been unable to present cases to the Civilian Oversight Board and the Detention Facilities Oversight Board while board membership and training were being finalized, and that backlog and daily intake together make timely resolution difficult.
Committee members asked about tools and outside services the division requested. Milen said the office had sought $10,000 for investigative software (Regis) that was removed from the proposed budget and $75,000 for independent legal counsel; she argued independent counsel would avoid conflicts when the city councilor’s office otherwise represents multiple city departments. On state takeover of police authority, Milen said the office had adjusted its work plan to be consistent with the four oversight categories the state identified and removed community engagement from the immediate work plan to align with the state’s parameters.
Committee members pressed for timelines and for assurance of board training. Milen said board members have completed most trainings and one final session was planned with a trainer (Jamala Rogers) with dates expected in June. She also said the division plans to publish a dashboard showing complaint counts and status updates.
The presentation generated sustained questioning about access to records and detention facilities, training requirements for board members, and whether reduced staff would allow the division to keep pace with investigations. No formal budget action or vote on the COB budget was taken by the committee during the meeting.
