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Colorado Springs Council dissolves LITAC after extended public comment urging stronger civilian oversight
Summary
The council voted 8-0 to repeal the ordinance establishing the Law Enforcement Transparency and Advisory Commission; dozens of public commenters urged a powerful, civilian-led successor with investigatory teeth and cited police use-of-force settlements and recent shootings.
The City Council voted unanimously April 14 to repeal the ordinances that established the Law Enforcement Transparency and Advisory Commission (LITAC) after a lengthy public-comment period in which residents, advocacy groups and several family members of shooting victims urged the council to create a far stronger civilian oversight body.
Legislative-services staff introduced the ordinance and answered procedural questions. Michael Montgomery (Legislative Services) was available to answer technical questions about the ordinance; the clerk then opened the public-comment period on the item.
Numerous speakers representing local advocacy groups and families addressed the council. "It is very important that you don't skip this opportunity to create a strong successor to Leetak," said Stephanie Hill, executive director of Citizens Project, who asked the council to draft an ordinance establishing a repurposed, citizen-led body with meaningful authority. Hill cited settlement payouts and said the current arrangement did not provide sufficient accountability: "The city of Colorado Springs has shelled out nearly $9,000,000 over the last 4 years in settlements for excessive use of force cases," she told the council.
Other speakers, including representatives from the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and multiple family members of people shot by police, pressed the council to form a Civilian Police Accountability Council with investigatory powers. Lorraine Foster, whose son Michael Foster was shot by police on Feb. 2, described his injuries and urged accountability.
Supporters of stronger oversight framed the issue as persistent and systemic and asked for a successor body with authority to review use-of-force incidents, involve civilians in investigations and make binding recommendations. Several speakers called for elected or otherwise independent membership, prohibited active or former police members from serving, and requested automatic involvement in deadly-force probes.
After public comment, council considered the ordinance and approved it by voice vote: motion passed 8-0. The ordinance repealed earlier enabling ordinances (as read into the record) and dissolved LITAC; the council did not, on April 14, adopt a replacement ordinance establishing a new oversight body.
Councilmembers did not debate at length on the floor after public comment; the item carried on the council's unanimous vote. Several public commenters had asked the council to draft a new ordinance that would name a stronger, community-led successor; that drafting and any future ordinance drafting remain to be undertaken by staff and council at a later date.
Next steps: the ordinance dissolution was approved; council and staff will determine whether and how to draft a successor ordinance and the scope of any new civilian oversight body.
