Civilian Oversight office asks for resources as investigators gain access to CJC interviews

Dr. Barbara Milin, commissioner of the Division of Civilian Oversight (DCO), told the Budget and Public Employees Committee that her office is asking for modest operating funds to codify procedures and expand public outreach as oversight access to the City Justice Center increases.

Milin said DCO investigators have begun reviewing files and for the first time have been invited into CJC to interview incarcerated people about complaints and conditions. "For the first time since the division was established in 2015, our investigators are able to interview and meet with the men and women incarcerated at the city justice center regarding their complaints," Milin said, emphasizing the importance of standardizing intake and case‑file procedures.

DCO requested approximately $1.14 million in its FY27 ask and the administration proposed about $1.158 million; requested funding would support a comprehensive administrative manual, investigator certification and attendance at the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement annual conference. Milin said DCO is continuing to gather and analyze complaint data spanning 2020–2024 and will publish updated oversight reports.

Milin also addressed limits on police oversight after the state takeover of the SLMPD, saying the need for civilian oversight is unchanged even where jurisdictional authority has shifted: "The need for oversight is not diminished by jurisdictional shifts," she told the committee. DCO plans to maintain complaint analysis and public outreach while pursuing stronger data‑management practices.

What’s next: DCO will publish updated detention oversight reports, finalize the administrative manual and request the committee’s continued support for the modest operating costs needed to sustain investigations and training.