# 10-27-2026 Transparency, Community Collaboration, Accountability  and Oversight Meeting Video

Lakewood’s Transparency, Community Collaboration, Accountability and Oversight Committee met on October 27, 2026, to examine police accountability and potential oversight models. Denver Independent Monitor Liz Bennett Castle described Denver’s hybrid civilian-oversight system: the Office of the Independent Monitor reviews complaint and critical-incident investigations, recommends findings, discipline, policy and training changes, and publishes reports, while the department and city officials retain authority over discipline. She also discussed community outreach, accessible complaint processes, and mediation. In response to a budget question, she said the Denver office had about 14 staff and a budget of approximately $2.6 million; these figures concerned Denver, not a Lakewood allocation.

The committee discussed what it still needs to learn, including complaint trends and existing oversight processes, police bias, experiences of marginalized communities, and examples from other Colorado cities. Members also discussed whether to explore Lakewood Together, an existing city engagement platform, as a way to collect committee materials and community input; there was interest in further exploration, but no procurement or spending decision. A member of the public criticized the committee’s effect on community trust and began sharing personal testimony about police-related harms; the transcript ends before the comment is complete. No contract awards, bids, or Lakewood budget allocations were identified.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Public Safety
**Published:** October 27, 2026

### Sources
- [10-27-2026 Transparency, Community Collaboration, Accountability  and Oversight Meeting Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-fqm4dH4To) - Lakewood Colorado