Oak Park was very early in having citizens take a specific role in the oversight of the local police department. Back in 1991, village government created the Citizen Police Oversight Commission (CPOC). And in the 40 years since, it has done good work even as the rest of the nation followed Oak Park’s lead and then sprinted ahead of us in how police oversight is defined.
Now a new consultant’s report offers a path to expand the tools and resources CPOC can bring to its oversight. We agree with the consultant that building trust through transparency is the foundation. The Oak Park police do a good job. They can do better with improved oversight.