City commission moving to hire an interim police ombudsman

The Canadian man selected in November to be Spokane’s next police ombudsman still doesn’t have a work visa, so a city commission is moving ahead with interviews for an interim ombudsman to fill the role.

Raheel Humayun, an investigator with the British Columbia Office of the Ombudsperson, accepted the police oversight job Nov. 23 after a nearly yearlong search process.

His offer was contingent on him getting a work visa within 75 days, but the city didn’t submit his visa application until Jan. 19, said Breean Beggs, the attorney who advises the police ombudsman commission. Immigration authorities asked for additional information to decide if Humayun qualifies for an expedited TN visa and should issue a final ruling in about a month.

If Humayun’s visa application is accepted, he has 45 days to move to Spokane and begin work, which means he likely would start in mid-April.

If he’s rejected for that visa, the ombudsman commission would decide whether to reopen the search process for a permanent ombudsman or have Humayun apply for another type of visa that would allow him to begin work in the fall.

In the meantime, a new search committee met in December and January to review applications for an interim police ombudsman and announced three finalists this week. The finalists are:

Eddie Aubrey, a former Los Angeles police officer who has worked as a prosecutor in Renton and temporary judge in King County. Aubrey also held a post similar to the ombudsman job called an “independent reviewer” in Fresno, California.

Gregory Jimenez, a former detective and patrol officer with the Scottsdale, Arizona, police department who currently works as a private investigator in Spokane specializing in risk assessment and fraud.

Bart Logue, a longtime diplomat and law enforcement officer in the Marine Corps who served as provost marshal, the equivalent of chief of police, at a base in South Carolina and has attended the FBI National Academy.

An interim ombudsman is appointed for a four-month term and would allow the office of the ombudsman to be staffed while the commission continues to search for a permanent hire.

The commission hopes to make a decision on the interim job next week.