Citizen Review Board seeks $685,500 increase to hire investigators and expand operations

The Atlanta Citizen Review Board (ACRB) requested additional funding for FY26 to expand its investigative staff and cover contract and space needs, telling City Council the agency is handling an increased caseload and needs more investigators to meet statutory oversight responsibilities.

Executive Director Lee Reed told the council the board processed 219 complaints over the past year and assigned 116 investigations; "APD agreed with 75% of the ACRB sustained allegation findings and APD imposed discipline on 76% of the sustained findings," Reed said while outlining the agency's work and its FY26 proposal.

The nut graf: ACRB leaders said staffing and technology shortfalls limit the board's ability to investigate officer-involved shootings and other serious incidents quickly; the board proposed an FY26 budget of $2,349,281 that includes market salary increases for investigators, funding for two additional positions and contracting/space costs.

What the board asked for: Reed said the ACRB is requesting an additional $685,500 over FY25 to bring total proposed funding to $2,349,281. He told council $574,000 of that increase would be used for market adjustments and to hire authorized FTEs at competitive salaries; $111,500 was identified for additional office space and to join the city's Axon/AXON contract for body-worn camera and evidence handling.

Deputy Director Sheena Robertson (who introduced herself during the presentation) described current operational strain: the investigative team has two investigators (one recently hired), one investigation manager and Robertson herself; she said the senior investigator and manager currently have caseloads exceeding 60 cases, the newly hired investigator has more than 25 cases, and the unit is receiving approximately three to five newly assigned cases per week. Robertson said from February 2025 through early June the board received 16 complaints and assigned 40% of those for full investigation.

Reed and Robertson framed the staffing request with benchmarking data. Reed said the current ratio is roughly one investigator to 880 Atlanta Police Department officers and that the proposed staffing would improve that to approximately one investigator to 293 officers, a level the ACRB identified as closer to peer agencies. The board also told council it expects increased demands from historical case closures and continuing authority to review officer-involved shootings, serious injuries and gun discharges under the city's ordinance.

Council members questioned funding and hiring logistics. Council asked whether the two investigator posts approved by ordinance earlier this year were funded; Reed said those positions remain unfunded until council action. Human Resources told council the investigator postings had received hundreds of applications and HR was vetting candidates to forward to the board. Council members also pressed on the ACRB's purchase and contracted supply line, which the board attributed to one-time space build-out costs and a separate Axon contract the board said did not originally include ACRB.

The board said it would use additional staff for timely case processing, administrative help for video and document requests, and a project manager to organize community outreach and contracting. Reed closed by urging council to consider the request in light of the board's expanded authority and its role in civilian oversight; no formal funding decision was made during the hearing.

Ending: Council members expressed support for strengthening oversight but noted budget constraints and the need to reconcile the ACRB's request with the Department of Finance's proposed numbers. Reed said the agency will continue working with HR and the mayor's administration on an MOU with APD and on hiring plans.