Kim Neal was named the City of Fort Worth’s police monitor and will be responsible for leading the effort to finalize the model to be used for independent review of the Fort Worth Police Department, the city announced on Jan. 10.
“We look forward to working with Kim Neal to develop Fort Worth’s program for independent review of the police department in order to increase trust between the community and the department,” City Manager David Cooke said. “We will be relying on Kim’s vast knowledge and experience as we move forward to implement best practices for independent review of police.”
Neal is currently executive director for the Citizens Complaint Authority in Cincinnati. In this role, she oversees the investigations of serious misconduct allegations by Cincinnati police officers including, but not limited to, shots fired, deaths in custody, uses of force and improper procedures with the ultimate goal of addressing residents’ concerns and improving residents’ perceptions of the Cincinnati Police Department.
Under Neal’s direction, the Citizens Complaint Authority serves as a voice for residents to be treated with dignity and respect through democratic policing and the power of the community to shape policing practices and standards.
Prior to the Citizens Complaint Authority, Neal held other senior-level positions in other major cities in the areas of policy, employment, higher education, compliance, ethics, privacy and information disclosure in the public sector at different levels of government, and in the private sector in the fields of utilities, government contracting and legal.
Neal also served as professor of legal studies at the University of Maryland University College in Adelphi, Md.
Neal earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgetown University and juris doctorate from University of Baltimore School of Law. In addition, she has certifications in compliance and ethics.
Neal is a volunteer Court-Appointed Special Advocate in Hamilton County, Ohio. She is an active member of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement, International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, Ethics and Compliance Initiative and Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics.
The police monitor appointment stems from a recommendation made by Fort Worth’s Task Force on Race and Culture.
Neal is expected to begin work in Fort Worth by early March 2020.