Independent Monitor

Location:  City and County of Denver Download:  City and County of Denver - Independent Monitor Brochure

Independent Monitor
City and County of Denver, CO

About Denver, CO

The City and County of Denver is Colorado's capitol city and home to more than 715,000 residents. Nicknamed the "Mile-High City," Denver is the nation's 19th largest city and Denver International Airport is the fifth busiest airport in the country.   Denver is also the heart of state government, the arts, music and professional sports and the most populous city within a 500-mile radius. It serves as the primary financial, transportation, and distribution center of the region.  Denver oversees an extensive park and recreation system.

Denver offers exciting opportunities for both corporate employers as well as entrepreneurs, award-winning transit, mobility and sustainability/climate programs, and excellence in education and health care. All of these economic programs are set against the legendary Rocky Mountains known for their beauty and extensive leisure and recreational opportunities.  Denver continues to strengthen its reputation as one of America's most livable and attractive cities. As a destination city that has it all, Denver is a top choice to live, work and enjoy life. 

Government

Denver is a consolidated city-county and has a strong mayor/city council form of government made up of a non-partisan elected mayor, auditor, and a 13-member city council. All elected officials serve four-year terms, with a maximum of three terms.

Denver has over 14,000 employees in over 35 agencies and elected official agencies and has been awarded a top employer in Colorado.  The city is a mix of uniformed (public safety agency -police, fire, sheriff and 911) and civilian workers across a variety of resident service areas.  A recent employee engagement survey shows that Denver employees are highly engaged in innovative and high-quality work and services that they provide to Denver residents.  

The Office of Independent Monitor

The Office of Independent Monitor (OIM) is a civilian oversight agency that was created by the City and County of Denver and began its work on August 1, 2005. The OIM has fifteen employees, including administrative, monitoring, policy, and outreach staff.

The mission of the Office of the Independent Monitor is to provide fair and objective oversight of the Denver Police and Sheriff Departments. The Monitor's mission is directed at transparency and accountability of Denver's sworn Safety personnel and the policies which govern them. The monitor also has relationships with community agencies and task forces.

The Position

The Independent Monitor directs the Office of the Independent Monitor for the City and County of Denver. This position directs investigative and analytical work that is highly complex, and often involves issues that are highly sensitive and confidential in nature.

The Independent Monitor is an at-will appointment that works in partnership with the Mayor's Office, City Council, Citizen Oversight Board, Department of Safety Police and Sheriff Departments, District Attorney's Office, community leaders, the general public and the media to provide for fair and objective oversight of uniformed personnel and to ensure public confidence in such uniformed personnel.

Responsibilities and Duties:

Job duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Executively directs recommendations to the Executive Director of the Department of Public Safety and department heads regarding administrative action, including possible discipline for uniformed personnel
  • Provides executive direction in investigations of uniformed personnel including citizen complaints alleging the use of force, other serious misconduct, and other citizen concerns
  • Provides direction in the monitoring of investigations including responding to crime scenes, attending witness interviews, reviewing other types of evidence, engaging in ongoing dialogue with the investigators, ensuring internal investigations are thorough, fair and complete, and recommending or conducting additional investigation including the issuing of subpoenas
  • Identifies, researches and analyzes problems; evaluates alternative courses of action and makes recommendations regarding training, policies, procedures and best practices to prevent future complaints and allegations of misconduct and to improve performance
  • Directs the administration of a management information system to track and report information such as police activities, patterns of citizen complaints and issues relating to the implementation and administration of the early warning system
  • Directs reports for the Citizen Oversight Board, Mayor, City Council and the public on the status and resolution of complaints, including timelines of complaint resolution, trends and patterns, nature and frequency of complaints, percentage of charges the police department sustains against its police officers; and develops information relating to the early warning system and other performance indicators
  • Works in partnership with the Citizen Oversight Board to promote the mission of the OIM; informs the Board of the status of investigations being monitored and actions taken, providing additional information concerning the plans, programs, policy, training, and procedures; maintains effective working relationships with diverse groups including city staff, outside agencies, employee unions, and community-based organizations, the general public and others
  • Conducts public outreach to educate the community and the media on the role of the Independent Monitor and the processes for investigating complaints and administering disciplinary actions, policies, practices, and training
  • Establishes and maintains liaison with the media; meets with community leaders, public officials, and professional organizations
  • Plans, organizes, and directs the operations of the Office of the Independent Monitor (OIM); monitors the efficiency and effectiveness of the OIM through performance management and related activities; establishes programmatic priorities and procedures; and prepares and administers the OIM budget
  • Develops goals, documents performance, provides performance feedback and formally evaluates the work of OIM employees; provides reward and recognition for proper and efficient performance. Assists staff to achieve performance standards and identifies opportunities for continual improvement to performance standards
  • Establishes standards of professional conduct including ensuring confidentiality and implementing a comprehensive training program for the Office of the Independent Monitor staff; develops training for members of the Citizen Oversight Board and other citizens involved in the oversight process


Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

  • Demonstrated knowledge of the theory, principles, practices and techniques in the conduct of internal law enforcement complaint investigation and review for a large municipal organization.
  • Knowledge of the techniques of law enforcement training, instruction, and evaluation of work performance
  • Knowledge of the fundamentals of criminal and administrative investigations including interviewing and interrogating principles and techniques
  • Knowledge of federal, state and local laws and regulations and procedures applicable to internal law enforcement investigations and review responsibilities and jurisdiction 


Education and Experience

Qualified candidates will have a Master's degree or Juris Doctor from an accredited college or university, plus three (3) years of executive level work experience investigating allegations of misconduct by law enforcement officers, major criminal cases, or crime scenes or comparable experience and preferably personnel related matters.  Two (2) years of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post-high school education. A combination of appropriate education and experience may be substituted for the minimum education and experience requirements. The successful candidate will be required to pass a rigorous background investigation.

The Ideal Candidate

The Independent Monitor is a key executive level position that the Mayor and Citizen Oversight Board will rely upon heavily for legal expertise, judgment and recommendations. The ideal candidate will have experience interpreting and explaining complex laws, ordinances, enforcement principles and practices, regulations, policies and procedures.

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications and requirements for this position, the ideal candidate should be a well-respected leader who is not only supportive, but an effective communicator with the ability to build positive relationships and build trust with the community and within the Denver Police and Sheriff's departments. The ideal candidate will bring a positive example of competence, professionalism, energy and work ethic to the organization. 

The ideal candidate should have strong interpersonal skills, be an effective listener, be responsive to input, and provide timely feedback. Effective communication along with strong collaboration and team building skills will be necessary for this individual to be successful; advanced presentation and written/oral communication skills are imperative. 

Salary


The City and County of Denver is offering a competitive salary commensurate with experience.  The salary range is listed between $103,050 - $175,185.  A comprehensive benefits package available at www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Job-Center/benefits. Relocation assistance will also be available for the successful out-of-area candidate.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should forward a cover letter and resume to:

resumes@affionpublic.com
Reference: DENVERIM

Affion Public
PO Box 794
Hershey, PA 17033
888.321.4922
www.affionpublic.com 

**The deadline to receive resumes is October 2

0, 2021** 

 

The City and County of Denver is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. 

Posted: 03/22/2022