Colorado Springs City Council to hold town halls; Police accountability expected to be discussed

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- This week, two Colorado Springs City Council members are holding virtual town halls to talk about the new Law Enforcement Transparency and Accountability Commission.

Last Wednesday, applications for the new commission were due. More than 800 applications were turned in.

"It was a month ago that the wheels that have been spinning for so long, finally got some traction," said Councilman David Geislinger of District 2.

He and Councilman Don Knight will be holding individual events to hear from their districts on the new group, among other topics.

Knight says he's just started going through the applications but hopes to hear from his constituents on the new group.

"Constituents want to make sure that people who are on there are knowledgeable of what the police actually do," Knight explains.

This town hall had already been on the schedule. Knight says he usually leaves the topics up to the people who attend but anticipates this new group will call for comment.

He says he hopes for "someone with a level-balanced head and is well known in the community."

Geislinger says, "the ideal candidate is somebody who will represent their own agenda... but is willing to at least risk crossing the divide."

The commission was approved by City Council with an 8-1 vote on June 23rd. It will be tasked with bringing policy recommendations to City Council, the mayor's office, and the Colorado Springs Police Department.

The council hopes to have the group finalized by the end of summer.

The town halls will be held virtually from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m on Tuesday July 7th and Thursday July 9th. Members of the public who are interested are asked to RSVP via email to allcouncil@coloradosprings.gov.