Michele Andre has been named the new Director of the Office of Community Police Oversight in Dallas, as announced by Interim Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert. With a comprehensive background in public administration and over eight years in police oversight management, Andre's recent achievements include a notably progressive stint as the program manager of the Albany, New York Community Police Review Board. It was there, according to the City of Dallas, that she spearheaded initiatives aimed at revamping accountability standards and enhancing community engagement.
While serving in Albany for two years, Andre left an indelible mark by initiating not only independent investigations into complaints and incidents of conduct that were questionable but also holding public meetings to review body camera footage, ensuring that not just efficiency but impartiality underscored the administrative processes concerning complaints. As per the City of Dallas, Interim City Manager Tolbert praised Andre's diverse approach to community engagement and her proven effectiveness in strengthening oversight and cooperation among stakeholders as critical to the decision.
The chair of the Community Police Oversight Board, John Mark Davidson, greeted the appointment with enthusiasm, heralding Andre as the right person at the right time for this oversight effort, who possesses the background, experience, professionalism, and drive necessary for the role.
In response to the news, Andre shared her sense of profound honor at being chosen for this role, expressing her anticipation for bringing my passion for equitable policing, transparency, and accountability to the vibrant Dallas community in an assertion to the City of Dallas. With a focus set squarely on collaborative efforts, she is bent on cultivating trusting relationships and enacting constructive reforms. Andre's tenure as Director is slated to begin on Tuesday, September 3.
