After six years, Colorado Springs has eliminated the Law Enforcement Transparency and Advisory Commission.

The City Council unanimously voted Tuesday a second time to dissolve the commission, which was established in 2020 to provide a way for the public to make recommendations around police oversight and public interactions. The required second vote followed the council’s initial vote April 14 to end LETAC.

The creation of the group was spurred by the national movement against police brutality in 2020 and the local concerns after De’von Bailey was killed by a Colorado Springs police officer in 2019.

In March, the commission members recommended that the group be disbanded. The body had made recommendations to enact some changes over the years, including the rollout of mental health first responders, but had little to no say in disciplinary actions.

Shortly after the final vote was taken Tuesday, Mayor Yemi Mobolade and Police Chief Adrian Vasquez issued a joint statement thanking the members of the public who’d served on the commission and suggesting that they would continue discussions about a possible successor.

“Looking ahead, we are committed to continuing this work by engaging former LETAC members and the broader community to identify new and effective ways for residents to share input directly with the Mayor’s Office. Ensuring that all voices are heard; clearly, respectfully, and consistently; remains a priority,” Mobolade said.

“Together, we will continue to focus on what matters most: keeping our community safe, strengthening trust, and ensuring accountability remains clear, direct, and responsive to the people we serve.” 

Councilmember Roland Rainey said he would help pass along the commission members to the mayor’s office for future conversations and thanked the seven current and former LETAC members in the council meeting room.

“The mission that it embodied had several goals, but I think it’s time that we reevaluate and repurpose what that looks like for us as a community,” Rainey said.

Rainey also recognized the members of the public who attended the last two council meetings to advocate in favor of a community police accountability council. A vocal police accountability group argued that the city needed a replacement that had more power to independently investigate police officers after shootings.