The city of Topeka is changing the policing of its police and other employees. Here's how.

Edward Collazo had held such contrasting jobs as police officer, a prosecutor and a public defender.

Collazo was clearly the best available candidate to fill a newly created job as Topeka's city government's "independent police auditor," then-city manager Brent Trout said after hiring him in August 2019.

Collazo's background provided "an exciting combination for all those involved," inspiring confidence from police that they could relate to him and from community members that he would address their concerns, Trout said.

But Collazo's objectivity was called into question the following year after — in all of the first 104 use-of-force cases he examined — he ruled Topeka police acted in accordance with their department’s policies and procedures.

'This is us reviewing ourselves'

Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala suggested at that time that Collazo couldn't genuinely be an “independent” auditor, considering the city employed him. She called for the city to create an independent civilian review board.

“I am still convinced that this is us reviewing ourselves," Valdivia-Alcala told fellow council members, "and that is not a good look at this point in time.”

A vote by the city's governing body, consisting of the mayor and council, is required to create an independent civilian review board, said Gretchen Spiker, the city's communications director.

"The city manager does not have the authority to do this without approval of the governing body," she told The Capital-Journal.

New investigator to be paid $84,000 a year

By last July, Collazo had shifted to working for the city on a contract basis as it sought to find a replacement, council members learned from then-interim city manager Bill Cochran.

City manager Stephen Wade announced Feb. 20 that the city had hired Alicia Guerrero-Chavez to serve as the city's internal investigator, and she was starting work that day. The city declined a Capital-Journal request to talk to Guerrero-Chavez and wouldn't share her resume.

"The internal investigator position is a new position to the city, and is an expansion of what was the independent police auditor position," said Spiker.

"Guerrero-Chavez comes to the city with 10 years of investigation work, including experience in riskmanagement," said the news release that announced her hiring.

Guerrero-Chavez is a past Topeka “Top 20 Under 40” Honoree and is active with the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Parish, it said.

Guerrero-Chavez's starting salary is $84,000 a year, Spiker said in response to a query from The Capital-Journal. Collazo started in 2019 at $78,000 a year.

Guerrero-Chavez has an office in City Hall and can be reached by emailing investigator@topeka.org or calling 785-368-3763.

Investigator will tackle tasks human resources used to carry out

The internal investigator's duties are in some ways the same and in some ways different from those of the independent police auditor, Wade said.

He said the internal investigator’s role is to investigate internal and external complaints related to all city employees,departments and services, including police-related matters. The city employs about 1,000 people, Wade said.

The city's human resources department previously handled the investigations Guerrero-Chavez will conduct regarding city departments other than the police department, Wade said.

“With this position, we will be able to more broadly enhance city investigations as a whole, allowing us to ensure we are serving our community and our employees at the level they deserve,” he said.

Topeka City Council member has 'deep concerns'

Valdivia-Alcala doesn't think the city should have created Guerrero-Chavez's job, she told The Capital-Journal.

"Since coming onto council, I have had deep concerns about the role of the 'IPA' or what is now being referred to as 'IA,'" Valdivia-Alcala said.

Since 2020, she added, her commitment has been — and will continue to be — for creating an independent civilian review board.

'A license to kill and/or abuse folks'

Ariane Davis, a community activist who ran unsuccessfully in 2021 for the District 5 seat on the Topeka City Council, said she thinks the only things that have changed are the names of the job and the person holding it.

"Both these positions are city-paying positions and report to the city manager," Davis said.

The internal investigator has no true power to make recommendations, she said.

The person in that job must ultimately make decisions by using case studies the city government provides him or her, and referencing the city's policies and procedures regarding the use of force.

Those policies and procedures "are subjective and biased in allowing the officers a license to kill and/or abuse folks in our community," Davis said.

"My question is, 'Will she be able to make an independent finding and recommendation without referring to the outdated and biased policing policies that only look out for the police officers' safety and not the community?'" she asked. "That will be the real determining factor."

Activist: Topeka at 'crucial point' in its history

Community activist Danielle Twemlow, who also supports creating an independent civilian review board, called this past week for the city and its police to be held responsible "for taking the steps to repair the distrust they have created due to their lack of transparency, oversight and accountability."

Twemlow noted that family members of Christopher Kelley and Taylor Lowery, whom Topeka police fatally shot in separate incidents last year, are calling for the city to publicly release police body camera video of their deaths.

Topeka is at a crucial point in its history, at a time when "community members and key stakeholders have continued to advocate for transparency and are met with barriers the city has created to impede meaningful and life-saving progress," Twemlow said.

"The long-standing issues with the policies, procedures and training have deadly results for peopleexperiencing mental health crises, and the danger disproportionately impacts Black and brown people," she added.

What's the new Topeka investigator's background?

The city government denied a request from The Capital-Journal seeking an interview with Guerrero-Chavez.

"Because the role is new, we think it’s important to allow the internal investigator time to get acquainted, before participating in an interview," Spiker said. "Additionally, the position is not a department director-level position, in which the city typically would make available for interviews."

Spiker also denied a request by The Capital-Journal seeking a copy of Guerrero-Chavez's resume, saying resumes are considered a personnel file and not an open record.

"Alicia has more than 10 years of investigation and risk management experience," Spiker said. "She worked in various roles at Family Service and Guidance Center between May 2015 and February 2023, and worked in various roles at Scott, Quinlan, Willard, Barnes & Keeshan L.L.C. between January 2003 and March 2015."

Guerrero-Chavez's LinkedIn page confirmed she worked for those employers.

It said her titles were "director of risk management and support services" at FSGC and "legal assistant" at Scott, Quinlan, Willard, Barnes & Keeshan.

Guerrero-Chavez graduated in 2007 from Kansas State University and has a law degree from Washburn Law School, her LinkedIn page said.

'A wealth of knowledge and experience'

Wade spoke positively of Guerrero-Chavez's having a law degree, though he said possessing such a degree wasn't on the city's list of requirements for the internal investigator's job.

Collazo also has a law degree.

Wade expressed confidence in Guerrero-Chavez’s ability to demonstrate the level of objectivity needed for her position.

In hiring an investigator, he said, he looked to find someone who would be experienced, professional, transparent and fair.

“Alicia comes to the city of Topeka with a wealth of knowledge and experience in this area," Wade said, "and we are delighted to have her on board.”

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Here's why city of Topeka created a job for an internal investigator