Questions to be asked & answered? What was expected? What happened? What needs to change?

To District 20 Constituents 

 When first elected in 2015, questions about policing, transparency, accountability and community trust were already hard conversations in Madison. I supported body-worn cameras because I believed they could provide one more tool for accountability. But I never believed cameras were the answer to everything. A camera can record an encounter; it cannot provide independent civilian oversight. That is why Madison created the Office of the Independent Monitor. If we create an office and give it serious responsibilities, we also have an obligation to provide reasonable resources for that work. That is why I support the proposed transfer to address immediate staffing and service needs. My support for this funding is not an endorsement of every decision or every individual involved in the oversight process. Funding is not a blank check. And oversight is not immunity from accountability. I have heard concerns and criticism regarding both the independent monitor and the data analyst. Those concerns should not be brushed aside. But responsible governance means I don't govern based on personalities. It means asking whether the structure is sound, whether expectations are clear, whether professional standards are being met, and whether the office has the resources necessary to do the job we assigned. I have asked hard questions of our police department. I will ask hard questions of the independent monitor and the oversight system too. That is not choosing sides, that is doing the job. After years of public service, I've learned that building a structure is easier than sustaining it. The test is whether we sustain it, especially when it is tested. My commitment is straightforward: transparency, accountability, appropriate resources, and measurable performance. I can support the institution and insist on accountability from it. In fact, responsible governance both.

I can support the OIM, but expect accountability from the office. Responsible Governance requires both! I am not rubber stamping nor tearing down the OIM or the IM, my commitment is to those who elected me. Accountability does not end at the IM's office. It includes the Mayor's Office, Common Council Leadership and Common Council.

Questions to be answered: What was expected, what happened and what needs to change.

Alder Barbara Harrington-Mckinney, District 20