Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Oversight Civic Engagement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Silver City citizens' proposed police advisory board draws criticism from county speakers
Summary
A Silver City resident urged changes to a proposed Citizens Advisory Board for the city police, saying the draft limits law‑enforcement representation and risks bias; several Grant County commissioners publicly said they would oppose a similar county effort and warned of liability and process concerns.
Delfina Jimenez, a Silver City resident, told the Grant County Commission on March 13 that a proposed Silver City Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) for police oversight is "questionable and unethical" and lacks members with law‑enforcement experience.
"They are lay people who want to make it sound like it's a place to bring issues so that they can find an answer with the police department," Jimenez said. She criticized a draft provision that would allow no more than one board member with a law‑enforcement background and urged the city council to change the wording to permit at least one member with law‑enforcement experience.
Jimenez also raised concerns about confidentiality, the likelihood of interpersonal relationships in a small community and potential bias in board appointments. She told commissioners the CAB proposal could affect county residents who use Silver City services, including schools, medical care and shopping.
Several commissioners responded during their reports. Chairman Ponce said he would oppose a similar advisory board at the county level and emphasized the county's existing chain of command and processes for handling complaints and discipline.
"I would vote against it if any other board members would wanna bring that up," Chairman Ponce said, adding that elected county officials and the county manager have responsibilities for oversight and discipline.
Commissioner Flores also expressed sympathy for officers and concern about civilians directing police operations without law‑enforcement experience. "Until you've been in their situations, until you've lived today in their shoes, these officers are making life and death decisions with less than a second's notice," Flores said.
Jimenez urged town residents to attend the Silver City meeting where the CAB was to be voted on or to email council members. Commissioners framed the proposal as a city matter but said it raised countywide concerns about oversight, liability and the role of elected officials.
No formal county action or vote occurred on the CAB; the discussion was recorded during public comment and commissioner reports.
