Activists Attack Dallas Police Oversight Board They Helped Create

Some Dallas activists who fought for community police oversight turned against the board they helped create this week. 

Some called for the resignation of the chairman they once supported.

Chairman Jesuorobo Enobakhare said some improvements are needed in the oversight program, but he and other board members defend the work they have done so far.

Emotional testimony at the Tuesday night meeting from a woman who claimed to be the victim of police brutality demonstrated the challenges before the Dallas Community Police Oversight Board.

Michelle Spencer’s son hugged his grandmother sitting right behind Spencer as she told the board about injuries she received in what she claims was a wrongful May 2021 arrest.

Spencer said she lost her home and two jobs.

“I have since been acquitted of all charges and apologies have been given from the other parties but it still does not erase, take away what we have endured,” Spencer said. “I spent a year, a whole year. We lost everything.”

Her claim brought no action from Dallas Police Internal Affairs or from the oversight board, though the Office of Community Police Oversight which reports to the oversight board did conduct an independent investigation.

Board members complained about the lack of information available to them on which to make judgments.

There was no body camera video and officers declined to talk to the oversight investigator.

“We've seen too many cases where there's no body worn camera footage,” Member John Mark Davidson said.

Dallas police say every patrol officer now has a body worn camera but the officers involved with Spencer in 2021 did not.

Although the officers declined to speak with the board investigator, some other witnesses who did speak said Spencer was the aggressor.

“I think we’re very disadvantaged in these things without the power to subpoena officers,” Board Member David Kitner said. “It makes us very powerless in these situations to do the job we’re supposed to do.”

Activists who lobbied the Dallas City Council for years to form a stronger oversight board with staff to conduct investigations attacked the board’s work this week.

“You have forgotten why you exist. We feel that the process is too political and politicized and we're done,” Activist Tamara Neal said.

Activist Changa Higgins said Chairman Enobakhare meets frequently with the police chief but has failed to create a promised advisory committee with outside subject matter experts.

“When you don't have a technical advisory component, you only can talk to the police department,” Higgins said.

Activist Dominique Alexander went a step further in his critique of Enobakhare.

“I officially call for the resignation of the board chair effective immediately,” Alexander said.

Enobakhare said he would pursue the creation of the technical advisory committee, but he declined to resign.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia declined an interview request for this story, but a police spokesperson said Garcia supports community oversight.

The spokesperson pointed out that current rules include no punishment for police officers who decline to participate with the oversight board.

“If we want change, you have got to get with your council members because this board is willing to do the hard work,” Board Member Jose Rivas said.

Enobakhare was unavailable for an interview Friday but member Brandon Friedman spoke in his place.

Friedman said many other cities that have community oversight lack the power of independent investigations from an oversight office which Dallas has.

“We have one of the stronger police oversight boards in the country and I'm very proud of that and I think it serves the community of Dallas very well. But of course, there are always things we could do better. I think having subpoena power to compel officers to be involved in these oversight investigations would be a big first step,” Friedman said.

And Friedman said other requested information from the police department has not always been provided.

"If it were easier for us to get information from the police department, that would be really great," he said.

The current Dallas Community Oversight Board and Office of Community Police Oversight were created in 2019 when a Civilian Review Board with less authority was disbanded.

UPDATE: This story includes clarification about the Office of Community Police Oversight which conducts independent investigations and receives complaints. The board receives information from that office and hears the results of investigations but does not conduct investigations nor receive complaints about police.