Olympia residents could soon address the city's police oversight board face-to-face.

The Community Policing Board will vote next week on whether to add in-person public comment to its regular meeting agendas, a change that would let residents speak directly to the board during its regular meetings.

The board will also receive a briefing on how the city investigates officer-involved critical incidents, according to the meeting agenda published on the city's Legistar portal.

The July 16 meeting includes two substantive business items. Item 26-0529, listed as a "decision" item, asks the board to consider adding in-person public comment to future agendas.

Item 26-0516, listed as a "discussion" item, is a staff briefing on the police officer-involved critical incident investigation process. No vote is scheduled on the investigation briefing.

The board will also approve minutes from this year's March 12 regular meeting and its June 25 special meeting.

The Community Policing Board is less than a year old. The Olympia City Council unanimously appointed its first members on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, after the board replaced the former Police Use of Force Events Board.

The new body carries expanded responsibilities, including reviewing police policy recommendations and participating in independent investigations of officer-involved critical incidents, following recommendations from the Social Justice and Equity Commission in 2024.

Four members of the former Use of Force board — Reiko Callners, Adan Espino, Elizabeth Drake, and Sarah Nagy — transitioned to the new board to retain their investigative experience and training, according to The Jolt News.

A vote to allow in-person public comment would mark one of the board's first moves to expand public access to its proceedings.

The meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, July 16, at City Hall, Council Chambers, according to the Legistar calendar.

Residents who need accommodations should contact the advisory committee staff liaison at least 48 hours before the meeting. Hearing-impaired residents can reach the Washington State Relay Service at 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6384.

The briefing on critical incident investigations is a discussion item only, meaning the board could take up related policy changes at a future meeting. No subsequent meeting date has been announced.