Citizens Police Oversight Commission votes to suspend member, leaving four seats open

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The city’ Citizens Police Oversight Commission suspended one of its own members at Tuesday night’s meeting. That leaves four open seats on the nine-member commission.

The Commission voted to suspend Rosaura Torres Thomas without specifying a reason but multiple sources said it was over a leak of confidential materials outside the commission. Thomas denies she shared the materials inappropriately and said the action was part of “a lengthy list of bullying and harassment.”

“I have been verbally attacked because I gave a confidential report to the [Office of Inspector General]. I have been bullied. I’ve been yelled at at town hall meetings by staff.”

The city released a statement on Thomas’ suspension on Tuesday.

“A commissioner may be suspended for up to 90 days. If cause is found to remove the commissioner, they may be removed after a public hearing,” it reads, in part.

“We will update the community about developments regarding permanent removal or reinstatement of Commissioner Thomas at a later date.”

Thomas says she won’t challenge the suspension.

“My whole intention is not to glorify myself but to help the survivors,” she said.

Thomas’s suspension is the latest in a series of struggles and missteps on the Commission. It was created in 2021, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, to give citizens the tools to investigate reports of Philadelphia police misconduct — a $2 million budget, subpoena power, access to internal affairs documents.

But the sense of urgency has dissipated over the past three years as internal strife whittled the commission down. Three of the seats have been empty for a full year after a trio of commissioners, complaining of toxic conflicts, resigned. The chairman’s term expired in the spring, and he does not want to be reappointed.

Councilman Curtis Jones, who sponsored the bill that created the commission, says the work is still important.

“We’re only one bad police stop away from needing that commission,” he said.

Yet City Council, which must confirm new members, recessed without taking action to right the ship. They won’t be making new appointments, addressing the expired term of the chairman or replacing the suspended member until fall at the earliest.

In the meantime, the Commission staff continues to investigate complaints, under a new executive director , who started in May. Jones says he thinks the staff is performing well.

“There is a fair and impartial process to review actions of citizens and police that people still believe in.”