Alexandria City Council Approves Hiring of Independent Policing Auditor 

For Immediate Release: October 25, 2022

On October 25, the Alexandria City Council approved the appointment of the new Independent Policing Auditor during their regular legislative meeting. Kim Neal will be responsible for leading the effort to conduct independent investigations of complaints, serious incidents, and will make recommendations on policing practices, policies, and procedures. She will also serve as the liaison to the Independent Community Policing Review Board. 

“We are excited to have an individual with Ms. Neal's experience to be our first independent policing auditor. This position will facilitate transparent government oversight and sustain the public trust,” said Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson. “Ms. Neal will act on resident concerns and advance policy reforms to serve our community even more effectively. She will be an asset to our dedicated and professional police force and the community they serve.”

Neal has an extensive history of independent police monitoring. She currently serves as the director of the Office of Police Oversight Monitor for the City of Fort Worth, Texas. As the first-named Police Monitor in March 2020, Neal established the agency’s model of oversight and accountability for the Fort Worth Police Department. In this role, she led efforts to create systems to monitor complaint investigations and commendations regarding local law enforcement, and uses of force, audit body-worn camera footage and law enforcement policies and procedures, conduct regular community engagement activities to improve police-community relations, and identify patterns and trends of citizen complaints and incidents. Neal worked to design the Fort Worth’s first restorative justice mediation program, and she led the way to create the first law school externship program focusing on civilian oversight of law enforcement.

Prior to this, Neal was the Executive Director for the Citizens Complaint Authority in Cincinnati where she oversaw the investigations of serious misconduct allegations by police officers. She also held senior-level positions in other major cities covering diverse policy areas as: employment, higher education, compliance, and ethics. In the private sector, she worked in the fields of utilities, government contracting and legal and previously served as professor of legal studies at the University of Maryland Global Campus in Adelphi, Md.

Neal earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgetown University and juris doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law. She is certified in compliance and ethics.

Neal previously served as 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, Police Executive Research Forum, Ethics and Compliance Initiative and Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics.

The Alexandria City Council voted unanimously to establish the position of Independent Policing Auditor and Community Policing Review Board in April 2021, as part of Ordinance 5337.

Neal’s anticipated start date is in early December.

For inquiries from the news media only, contact the Office of Communications & Public Information at newsroom@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3969.

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This news release is available at alexandriava.gov/go/4078