Opinion: Five years after Floyd, civilian police oversight is dying on the vine

Civilian oversight of law enforcement is dying.

Not in statute, not in mission — but in impact, in execution, in public faith.

What began as a bold democratic intervention into the secretive world of policing has become, in too many jurisdictions, a hollow performance.

Oversight bodies meet, they vote, they issue recommendations. They no longer wield power. They no longer compel compliance. They are tolerated, not respected. Just ghosts at the table.

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Civilian oversight refers to independent, civilian-led bodies that review, investigate, audit, monitor — or use a combination of these tools — to assess law enforcement practices, with the goal of increasing transparency, accountability and public trust. But across the country, that promise is eroding.

Oversight today oc