Police Oversight & The Office of The Independent Monitor

I've spent the last week and a half agonizing over this. As someone who has always voted to support the OIM and PCOB and believes that we belong to each other this was an immensely difficult decision to come to. In fact, I've changed my mind on this no less than 50 times.

My personal opinion of Monitor Glass as a person is that she is affable. I like her a lot. She's a fierce advocate. However, she has exhibited behavior that gives me pause and causes me to question her judgment as a leader who is employed by the city.

Let's be very clear, I believe in police oversight and work to reform policing. 

I believe that process matters, that the people who are most impacted matter and that facts matter.
 

As a Managerial Employee of the City of Madison, Monitor Glass has a duty to adhere to our Administrative Procedure Memorandums. The APMs are set up as a code of conduct and to provide procedural guidance for any positions that are paid for by taxpayer money. The IM's refusal to adhere to them sets a disturbing precedent. APMs are created to protect staff and foster a workplace that is free of discrimination and guidelines for acceptable behavior. 

I have been discriminated against in work places just for being who I am. So this holds immense weight. The precedent that this office is setting is unsettling at best. If any current or future Managerial Employee refused to adhere to the APMs it would create an environment of mistrust and harm. 

The APMs also give us an outline of contracting with vendors. The IM has refused to comply with the process. A reminder, the OIPM is funded by taxpayer dollars. The APMs are in place to ensure that those dollars are impactful to the community we serve. If any other Managerial Employee refused to comply with this it would be detrimental to the integrity of our service. 

I can see the potential for misuse and favoritism. We're already seeing how that is working out in our federal ecosystem. The adherence to APMs is a direct way to check that corruption. So in the interest of keeping corruption & privacy concerns all staff must comply with these directives.

APM 1-1
I:a
Any contract not specifically authorized by ordinance or resolution requires express authorization by the Common Council. The primary method to authorize a contract is through a resolution. The resolution can authorize a single contract or a series of contracts (such as special duty police contract or multiple grant awards). Rarely, contracts are authorized through the budget (e.g. CDBG and Community Services). Unless specifically authorized through one of these methods, all contracts must be individually authorized by resolution. Department and division heads, City employees, boards, committees and commissions do NOT have authority to sign a contract, unless specifically authorized by the Common Council. 

C. Departments/Agencies with Different Rules: The Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center Board, the Madison Public Library Board, and the Board of Health for Madison and Dane County have the power to make certain contracts without Common Council authorization. These bodies must follow applicable laws governing their contracting authority. In the absence of such authority these bodies should follow City contracting and purchasing guidelines.

III. CONTRACT DRAFTING 

A. Approval by City Attorney: It is the policy of the City of Madison that all City contracts must be in a form approved by the City Attorney. “Approval as to form" means that, in the opinion of the City Attorney: 

1. The contract is authorized. 

2. The contract terms do not violate any law or regulation (including this APM) and the contract contains all the provisions that applicable statutes and ordinances require. 

3. The signature page contains all necessary dates and signatures. 

4. Surety documents, when required, are in proper form.

I do have major concerns about the conduct of the office of the monitor. 

APM 2-33

Citywide Standard Expectations: 

A. General 

1. Employees will be courteous and respectful to all customers, co-workers, and members of the public. Employees will refrain from making false or malicious, discourteous, or abusive comments toward or about customers, co-workers, and members of the public.

We must have police oversight and we must have an office that is committed to collaborating and actually doing that work. I want to ensure that the PCOB and the OIPM are focused on the work of oversight and not encumbered by distractions that prevent the success of the work. 

I've worked with the Common Council's Chief of Staff. She is one of the most good faith people that I've ever worked with. She is incredibly well versed in the work of oversight as she has served to foster the work from the beginning. Karen has the temperament and knowledge to shepherd the office until a permanent replacement is found and I have full faith in her ability to switch between her role with the Common Council and the OIPM in a manner that is thoughtful and consistent with the independence that is required by the ordinances.