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Residents demand full funding, unfettered access for independent police monitor after on-street killing
Summary
Dozens of Madison residents urged the Common Council to fully fund the Office of the Independent Police Monitor and to require the Madison Police Department to provide all evidence related to the July 22 killing of Corey Ruiz, saying the office currently lacks staff and access to do its work.
Dozens of Madison residents used a marathon public‑comment period to urge the City Council to rapidly strengthen and fund the Office of the Independent Police Monitor (OIM) and the Police Civilian Oversight Board (PCOB) after the July 22 on‑street death of Corey Ruiz.
Speakers representing neighborhood groups, clergy, social‑service providers and oversight board members said the OIM lacks the staff, legal support and timely access to records it needs to conduct independent investigations. “The OIM must be fully funded to fulfill its mandated mandate to our community,” said Linda Ketchum, executive director of Justine K, who recommended a funding floor of $1,300,000. Multiple commenters repeated that figure as roughly 1% of the Madison Police Department (MPD) budget and as a minimum needed to hire investigators, legal counsel and data staff.
Board members and OIM staff described obstacles to evidence access. An OIM staffer who identified their role in testimony said the office currently has roughly 1.6 full‑time equivalent positions and cannot meet investigative standards used in peer cities; they added that national guidance recommends one investigator per roughly 80 officers. “We are impossibly understaffed,” the staffer said, and urged the council to direct MPD to provide records immediately.
Several public speakers said the independent monitor was injured while carrying out duties earlier the same day, and many demanded that the council explicitly require MPD to “provide all evidence, records, footage, and personnel access requested by the OIPM immediately and without condition.” Devin Snyder, who said he serves on the PCOB, told the council he was tear‑gassed and that “the independent monitor was assaulted by the police.”
The council heard repeated calls for the council or mayor to use their authority to ensure cooperation; speakers also asked for a public timeline to restore trust, a real‑time racial‑equity dashboard of police stops and use‑of‑force, and immediate emergency funding for the OIM to carry out concurrent investigations. The council did not vote on funding tonight; President Sabrina Madison and others said amendments that would have changed the OIM/PCOB ordinances were withdrawn and that the council intends a facilitated restorative process with the board to determine next steps.
