Board Members

Showing 6 active board members (maximum 9)

Name	Role	End Date
Bradley Arteaga	Member	12/31/2023 Serving Beyond Term
David Bell	Member	12/31/2023 Serving Beyond Term
Stephen Rovak	Member	12/31/2023 Serving Beyond Term
Ciera Simril	Member	12/31/2023 Serving Beyond Term
Jane Abbott-Morris	Member	12/31/2021 Serving Beyond Term
Frank Copanas	Member	12/31/2021 Serving Beyond Term

Authorizing Legislation

Ordinance 71749, Ordinance 70532, Ordinance 69984
City Code 3.140 - CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT BOARD
Rev. Mo. Stat. 590.653

Board Duties and Purpose

The board shall have the power to receive, make findings, and recommend disciplinary action upon complaints by members of the public against members of the police department that allege misconduct involving excessive use of force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, or use of offensive language, including, but not limited to, slurs relating to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation and disability. The findings and recommendations of the board, and the basis therefor, shall be submitted by the Commissioner of the Division of Civilian Oversight to the chief law enforcement official.

Member Requirements

Appointments require Board of Aldermen approval.

3.140.030 - Membership, qualifications, appointment, terms, etc.
1. COB.
The COB shall consist of nine (9) members of the public nominated by the Mayor of the City of St. Louis and confirmed by the Board of Aldermen.
2. Qualifications. To qualify for nomination, confirmation, and continued service on the COB, an individual must satisfy all of the following qualifications:
A. The individual must be a resident of the City of St. Louis.
B. The individual must have reached the age of eighteen (18) by the date that they will take office as a member of the COB.
C. The individual must not hold or be a candidate of any public office within the State of Missouri.
D. The individual must not be an employee of the City of St. Louis or of the State of Missouri.
E. The individual may not have an immediate family member who is currently employed by the Division of Police.
F. The individual may not be a current sworn police officer or corrections officer or a representative or employee of an employee association representing sworn police officers.
3. Fairness.
The Mayor shall nominate to the COB and the Board of Aldermen shall confirm to the COB only citizens who can be fair and objective. Members shall always judge cases on an individual basis, not categorically favor a complainant or accused, and shall act and make decisions based only upon the facts and the evidence before them.
4. COB Districts.
There shall be at least one and not more than two COB members who reside in each of the seven (7) Civilian Oversight Board Districts ("COB Districts). Each COB District shall consist of two (2) Aldermanic wards, as defined pursuant to Ordinance 71749, as follows:
A. District One: Wards 1 and 2.
B. District Two: Wards 4 and 5.
C. District Three: Wards 3 and 6.
D. District Four: Wards 7 and 8.
E. District Five: Wards 9 and 10.
F. District Six: Wards 11 and 14.
G. District Seven: Wards 12 and 13.
If there are any future changes in the number of Aldermen, the Board of Aldermen shall by ordinance reduce the number of wards that constitute each COB district. Any such reduction shall ensure that the composition of the COB continues to reflect the diversity of the City.
5. Appointment Process.
COB members shall be confirmed as follows:
A. Recommendation.
Within thirty (30) days of the effective date of the effective date of this Ordinance and within fifteen (15) days of any vacancy on the COB, the Office of the Mayor shall post an application form online and within forty-five (45) days after such posting the Clerk of the Board of Aldermen shall deliver to the Office of the Mayor the names of any qualified individuals recommended by Aldermen for such positions.
B. Nomination.
Within thirty (30) days of receipt of recommended names, the Mayor shall deliver to the Board of Aldermen nominations for the vacant COB positions. The Mayor may nominate any qualified person to serve as a COB member for that COB district; however, before nominating a COB member, the Mayor shall consider for nomination any individual recommended by the Aldermen in the respective COB district.
C. Confirmation.
Within ninety (90) days of the Mayor's nomination, the Public Safety Committee of the Board of Aldermen shall hold public hearings with public testimony concerning the nominees nd the full Board of Aldermen shall vote on whether to confirm the nominees. If a majority of the members of the Board of Aldermen vote to confirm a nominee, the nominee shall be appointed as a COB member. In the event an individual is not confirmed by a majority of the Board of Aldermen, the Mayor shall deliver to the Board of Aldermen a new nominee for the COB within thirty (30) days of the Board of Aldermen voting not to confirm the prior nominee.
If there is a vacancy on either the COB or DFOB for more than a year, the Director of Public Safety, the President of the Board of Aldermen and the Chair of the the Public Safety Committee shall each identify a candidate, none of whom may have been previously nominated to and rejected by the Board of Aldermen, and one of these shall be appointed by the Mayor as a COB member.
6. Term of Office.
Except as provided in this section for initial members all COB members shall be appointed for three-year terms. No member shall serve on the COB for more than two (2) consecutive three-year terms provided, however; an initial member appointed for a term of less than three years and members appointed to finish the unexpired term of a member shall be eligible to serve two consecutive, full three-year terms. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary stated herein, members currently serving the Civilian Oversight Board ("COB") established under Ordinance Numbers 69984 or 71556 at the time of this Ordinance's enactment shall for the time remaining on their COB terms be deemed initial members of the COB hereunder.
7. Initial Terms.
The initial members of the COB shall have staggered terms as follows: For the COB, selected by random drawing, four members shall serve three-year terms and three members shall be appointed serve two-year terms.
8. Selection.
Ninety (90) days before the expiration of a COB member's term a notice from the COB shall be sent to the Board of Aldermen and Mayor giving notice of the upcoming expiring term. After this notice the remaining selection process shall follow the initial selection procedure described in this section.
9. Vacancies.
Vacancies on the COB occasioned by resignation, expiration of term, loss of qualifications, or otherwise, shall be reported in writing to the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen by the Civilian Oversight Commissioner. The vacancy shall be filled as set forth in the Appointment Process section of this ordinance. Appointments to fill vacancies shall be for the unexpired portion of a term.
10. Compensation.
As required by RSMo 590.653, board members shall serve without compensation.