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Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Into the Lion’s Den

posted by on December 11 at 10:06 AM

Last Thursday, news intern Brian Slodysko attended a police accountability forum, hosted by SPD’s Office of Professional Accountability (OPA) and the Office of Professional Accountability Review Board (OPARB).

One complaint that was repeatedly echoed on slog—other than the lack of publicity for the meeting—was the fact that the meeting, on police accountability, was held inside a police precinct.

From reading the comments on Slog, it appears a number of people may not have attended the meeting because it would have been like walking into the lion’s den. Well, I called up the OPA to ask what they were thinking.

“The west precinct meeting room was available,” says OPA Director Kathryn Olson.
“We have done community forums in a variety of public facilities [but] we’ve also done meetings in the precinct.” Olson says the OPA didn’t intend to alienate anyone when they signed up to use the West Precinct conference room. Besides, Olson says, visiting a precinct is a great opportunity! “I’d encourage people to go inside the precinct if they’ve never been inside a precinct,” she says.

The problem with that, as I told Olson, is that some people have been in a precinct—on the business end of things—and they’re probably not going to want to come back and visit. When I pointed out that only 4 people—not including media or city employees—attended the meeting, Olson attributed the low turnout to “huge traffic problems that evening.”

Olson says she wants to hear from people about where they’d like to see the meetings held. So, if you’ve got a recommendation or want to address anything else, you can email Olson here.

RSS icon Comments

1

There are these things called Public Libarys with rooms

Posted by Just Me | December 11, 2007 10:18 AM
2

Jonah,

That was some great follow-up on your previous slog entry and you approached it in a fair manner, I really appreciate that.

Thanks.

Posted by Packratt | December 11, 2007 10:28 AM
3

Bring it to my library... please!!! Maybe that will keep the fornicating drunks out of the building for one night!!!

Posted by M | December 11, 2007 10:36 AM
4

I would like the meeting to take place in my guarded compound, with my private security force and snipers overseeing my personal safety.

Posted by Greg | December 11, 2007 10:38 AM
5

Oh, and not to be all librarian-like on you but #1, the plural is LIBRARIES.

Posted by M | December 11, 2007 10:42 AM
6

@5, can you guess what finger I am showing you right now? Yeah, sit and spin babe! Ride is over when you hit the elbow.

Posted by Just Me | December 11, 2007 10:46 AM
7

Sounds hot.

Posted by M | December 11, 2007 10:50 AM
8

I refuse to give the OPA a second of my time, they are just a representative of the huge USELESS bureaucracy that enables the police union to have control over these issues rather than the chief (useless) mayor (complacent) and ultimately the people (sadly neutered)

The OPA has made how many *recommendations for discipline* and how many have been followed?

they should call it the office of passive aggressive whining.

Posted by meanie | December 11, 2007 10:58 AM
9

Winchell's on 45th.

Posted by DOUG. | December 11, 2007 11:11 AM

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