Lakewood council opts for citizen-led ad hoc group to study police oversight, sets rules on access and staffing

Lakewood — The Lakewood City Council on Dec. 15 decided to pursue a citizen-led ad hoc committee to study police oversight and community relations, voting through a set of preliminary procedural decisions intended to protect confidential materials while ensuring broad community participation.

Councilors Isabel Cruz and Mayor Pro Tem Shaharzai presented two draft approaches for the review body and recommended the citizen-led option. Councilors voted to begin with Option B — a resident-driven, year-long ad hoc committee that would include people with lived experience and professional expertise and produce policy recommendations and a final report. Mayor Pro Tem Shaharzai said the committee is intended as “another tool in the toolbox,” not a punitive measure against the police.

Why it matters: The vote responds to community calls for greater transparency and followed the death earlier this year of Jax Raton, though the council explicitly avoided discussing the ongoing investigation. Supporters said a citizen-led committee could surface patterns and recommend training and policy changes; opponents warned a reactive body could undermine existing oversight and police morale.

What the council decided and how: - Committee model: Councilors chose Option B (citizen-led ad hoc committee). The mayor conducted a thumbs-up count that recorded 11 yes votes. - Access to records and executive session: Council directed staff to research whether and how the proposed committee could be given the authority to use executive sessions consistent with state law. The city attorney advised that executive-session authority is constrained by state law and staff will return with options for compliance. - Facilitation and staffing: The council voted (9–2) to add a trauma-informed, professional facilitator for the committee’s work; staff said they would consider contracting an outside professional via an RFP and provide administrative support from appropriate city offices. Councilors discussed whether facilitation could be provided in-house (clerk, victims’ advocates) but noted potential conflicts if those staff are connected with police services. - Elected membership: The council rejected including a voting council member on the citizen-led committee (2 yes, 9 no), with opponents saying elected membership could reduce perceived independence and proponents arguing a council liaison may help maintain institutional continuity. - Composition and representation: Councilors broadened the draft language to reserve up to two seats for other marginalized constituencies (for example, people who are BIPOC, have disabilities, or are unhoused), while keeping the primary focus on lived experience groups noted in the draft (such as LGBTQIA+ communities). The change passed 11–0. - Timeline and reporting: The council agreed the ad hoc committee should produce a final report 12 months after its first convening, with a midpoint public update; the council voted 11–0 for that schedule.

Conflicting perspectives raised at the meeting: Councilor Furman read a multi-page letter from the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge received earlier that day. The letter said the Lakewood Police Department is a nationally accredited agency and warned that a civilian oversight committee “is not in the best interest of Lakewood” and could create the perception of systemic problems where none exist. The letter also stated that “the suggestion that the investigation was impacted by bias is not supported by the facts.” Supporters of a citizen-led body said the committee is a way to increase trust and provide community-driven policy recommendations.

Legal and confidentiality limits: City legal staff cautioned that some materials are privileged or confidential, while other records are subject to the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) and would be publicly disclosable; staff will identify which materials could be reviewed in public and which would require limited procedures.

Next steps: Staff will return with revised resolution language that reflects council direction (including options for executive-session authority, facilitator procurement, staffing support and clarified membership criteria). The council expects to bring the refined resolution back for a formal vote in early 2024, and, if approved, the ad hoc committee would be seated and begin its work with a target of reporting back to council 12 months after its first meeting.

The meeting closed with routine committee reports and a council invitation to tour the newly renovated navigation center on Jan. 8.