Council to hone police oversight
The Burbank City Council on Thursday went beyond ranking their usual top five goals for the coming fiscal year to include a sixth priority: the Police Department.
With lawsuits filed by current and former police officers alleging discrimination and harassment winding their way through the courts, City Council members opted to include keeping a close eye on the department in their annual list of priorities.
The city has been spending thousands of dollars on outside consultants to advise police commissioners and city officials on how to carry out reforms within the department, which has been bogged down in a federal probe into misconduct allegations on top of the demands that come with responding to the lawsuits.
Each council member listed their own top priorities before the meeting, with police oversight listed by Councilmen Gary Bric and David Gordon.
The top goals chosen by City Council and recommended by city officials also included:
Long-term fiscal responsibility and stability
Economic development
Infrastructure and transportation
Communication, transparency and community engagement
Effective and efficient delivery of service.
