A new campus community board will enable students, faculty and staff to provide guidance on campus policing and public safety policies and procedures. The Community Oversight Review Board (CORB) is the outcome of a monthslong collaborative effort among the CU Boulder Police Department (CUPD), student and campus leaders, and representatives of the campus鈥檚 shared governance groups.
CORB is also the key recommendation of a community safety task force that the chancellor asked to evaluate campus policing policies, practices and training and to recommend steps to ensure public safety works for the campus community. According to the board鈥檚 established bylaws, its mission will be to create a formal structure 鈥渢o ensure accountability and to provide an avenue for continued community review, feedback and regular communication with the police department.鈥� Board members will include representatives from student, staff and faculty governance groups and at-large student, faculty or staff members.
CUPD Chief Doreen Jokerst and outgoing CUSG Student Body President Isaiah Chavous, who worked closely on the project over the past year, acknowledged that the collaboration took a willingness to engage on the part of the campus police department and students through a process that was not always easy or comfortable for either side.
鈥淲e spent hundreds of hours over the past academic year to get where we are today with the creation of this community board,鈥� Jokerst said. 鈥淲e listened to each other, worked together in spite of vastly different perspectives when we started, but in the end, we conceived of a unique model that will benefit the campus community and the campus police department.鈥�
Dan Jones, associate vice chancellor for integrity, safety and compliance, which includes CUPD, and the senior vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion, once hired, will co-chair the board to ensure continuity and alignment with best practices.
Jones said it was a testament to the 鈥渃ommitment and leadership鈥� of task force members that they were able to work closely with CUPD to bring CORB to fruition during an historic year of challenges and tragedies for the campus and the broader Boulder community. 鈥淭he work of our students, staff and faculty has and will continue to provide leadership for the campus and set an example for policing everywhere,鈥� Jones said.