What Happened · April 23
The room was united.
The message was clear.
200+
On Thursday, April 23, 2026, more than 200 community members gathered at Evergreen State College Tacoma Campus for a Community Town Hall on independent civilian oversight of the Tacoma Police Department.
Four speakers laid out the case: the structural failures of existing oversight bodies, the human cost when accountability is absent, more than 40 years of promises made and not kept, and a clear path forward.
Faith leaders, educators, families, elected officials, labor partners, veterans, students, and neighbors filled every seat. Tacoma is ready for independent civilian oversight with real authority.
Community members,
every seat filled
Why Independent Civilian Oversight
After 40 years,
the time is now.
For more than four decades, Tacoma residents have called for meaningful civilian oversight of the police department. What exists today are advisory bodies with no independent authority, no access to records without a public records request, and no power to hold anyone accountable.
This is not anti-police. Independent civilian oversight is pro-community, pro-safety, and pro-trust. Every officer who does their job with integrity benefits from a system that holds everyone to the same standard.
GET INVOLVED
Three ways to move with our Coalition.
This coalition is broad, diverse, and organized. We have a plan, we have resources, and we have the will to see this through. Here is how you can be part of what comes next.
Step Up Now
If you are ready, we need you. Sign on to support independent civilian oversight and join the coalition’s contact list. Your name adds strength to a movement that is not going away.
Learn More Before You Commit
If you want more information, the coalition will come to you. Your church, your business, your neighborhood. Reach out and we will bring the conversation to where you are.
Sign up to receive updates on the coalition’s next steps, upcoming events, and opportunities to take action for independent civilian oversight in Tacoma.
Join the list.
Stay in the movement.
Stay connected
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Campaign milestones and phase updates
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Invitations to community briefings
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Opportunities to host a conversation
About the Coalition
A broad alliance, rooted in Tacoma.
The Tacoma Pierce County Coalition is a broad alliance of community organizations, faith institutions, civic leaders, and residents united by a shared commitment to justice and accountability. Our coalition includes the Black Collective, NAACP Tacoma Branch, Tacoma Ministerial Alliance, Institute for Black Justice, Associated Ministries, Indivisible Tacoma, and many others.
We believe that every resident of Tacoma deserves a police department that is transparent, accountable, and guided by the community it serves.