Daily News | Philly’s Citizen Police Oversight Commission faces ‘growing pains’ as a third of board resigns
The vice chair and two commissioners of Philadelphia’s Citizens Police Oversight Commissionresigned Tuesday, with the vice chair claiming a “toxic” environment of “petty power moves” have prevented any progress. The agency, created by City Council in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in response to calls for police accountability, is now missing a third of its nine board members.
Commissioners have forced staff to seek their permission to perform daily work activities, slowing progress,staff and commissioners say. The appointed board members and staff have clashed over delays in hiring, staff salaries, and operational expenses. In an unusual move, the commissioners requested the commission’sdozen-plus staff members share their resumes — which staffers said the appointed board did not have the authority to do.
Hatchett, Bennett and Torres Thomas, all reached by phone Tuesday,said they were caught off guard by the resignations and Hossain’s claims. The three said there were merely differences of opinion on the nine-member board and that they were focused on the best interests of the community. Debouse could not be reached for comment.
One of the issues at the center of Hossain’s claims is the search for a permanent executive director. Hossain also alleged the mishandling of the hiring process for a general counsel position. In her resignation letter, she claimed that Hatchett and Torres Thomas spoke to a reporter fromThe resignations and claims of internal strife come little more than a year after Philadelphia City Council created the commission in response to loud calls in Philadelphia and across the country for police reform.
“I’m honestly concerned that CPOC is going to implode because of the untenable situation brewing between the commissioners and the staffers,” the source said.
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