Olympia City Council appoints first members to Community Policing Board

The Olympia City Council unanimously approved appointments to the newly established Community Policing Board, which will review police policy recommendations and participate in independent investigations of officer-involved critical incidents.

Lisa Ostler, Robin Rosen-Evans and Anita Kraft were appointed to fill the remaining vacancies on the board.

Kraft has extensive experience in mental health services. She works with one of the American Behavioral Health Services programs as a mental health counselor and has also served as a military life counselor.

In addition, Kraft has worked with youths as a counselor and therapist on mental health teams, and has professional experience as a mental health therapist and designated crisis responder, providing mental health services to clients, including developing and updating treatment plans, delivering psychoeducation and conducting direct therapy.

Rosen-Evans has more than three decades of experience as a public defender in Florida, where she handled thousands of misdemeanor and felony cases. She worked closely with investigators, and gained extensive familiarity with police practices through reviewing reports and internal affairs files.

Ostler is a registered nurse with 23 years of experience in emergency and flight nursing, now serving as a fatality review coordinator and community health nurse with Thurston County Public Health and Social Services. She previously worked as a reserve deputy coroner, gaining firsthand insight into the impacts of violence, mental health crisis and community trauma.

The appointment process began in May with 25 applications. The Community Livability and Public Safety Committee (CLPS) interviewed seven finalists in August. Three were recommended for appointment to the city council on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

When the Community Policing Board was created, four community representatives from the former Police Use of Force Events Board still had active terms.

Reiko Callners, Adan Espino, Elizabeth Drake, and Sarah Nagy were the remaining representatives for the Police Use of Force Board. To retain their experience and training for use in investigations, the CLPS approved their transition to the new board in August. The city council also approved their transitional appointments.

The Community Policing Board replaced the Police Use of Force Events Board. The new oversight body has expanded responsibilities following recommendations from the Social Justice and Equity Commission in 2024.

The responsibilities include:

• Providing input to the civilian police auditor on mid-year and end-of-year recommendations for updates to Olympia Police Department policy, training and operations.
• Serving as community representatives on the Capitol Metro Independent Investigations Team when needed to investigate officer-involved critical incidents.
• Serving as community representatives on the Olympia Police Department’s Internal Use of Force Review Board to review officer-involved critical incidents.
• Supporting community education and involvement in policing.

Terms of service

Transitional appointments from the former Use-of- Force Board:

• Reiko Callner and Adan Espino – term ending March 31, 2028
• Elizabeth Drake and Sarah Nagy – term ending March 31, 2029

New appointments:

• Lisa Ostler – term ending March 31, 2028
• Robin Rosen-Evans – March 31, 2029
• Anita Krafft – March 31, 2029