City of Fort Worth
Bonycle Sokunbi will be the city of Fort Worth’s new director of Office of Police Oversight Monitor, succeeding Kim Neal, who left the job in December.
Sokunbi will come to Fort Worth from New Orleans where she oversees the Use of Force Department and the Misconduct and Complaints Department along with serving as the chief of staff for the office.
City of Fort Worth
Bonycle Sokunbi
A press release said an “offer has been made” to her, subject to clearance of the routine onboarding process. She is expected to begin her duties in September.
“Bonycle Sokunbi is known for serving her community and upholding the values of accountability, fairness, and civil rights,” Fort Worth City Manager David Cooke said in a statement. “We look forward to working with Bonycle to further refine Fort Worth’s program for independent review of the police department in order to increase trust between the community and the department. We will be relying on her knowledge and experience as we continue to implement best practices for independent review of police.”
OPOM was established in February 2020 and was designed to improve oversight and accountability of the Fort Worth Police Department.
Sokunbi joined the city of New Orleans as the executive director of the Office of the Independent Police Monitor in 2018.
Under Sokunbi’s leadership, the police department has adopted new and more comprehensive standards. Sokunbi had the opportunity to provide recommendations and input into NOPD’s tactics, training, policy and discipline regarding force and misconduct, according to the city. Additionally, Sokunbi has worked alongside the federal monitors overseeing the federal Consent Decree in New Orleans.
“I am excited to continue my work in law enforcement oversight and serve the city of Fort Worth,” Sokunbi said. “I am committed to working relentlessly to improve community and police relations through outreach, transparency and accountability.”
Sokunbi received her bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and earned a law degree from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law.
Neal, who served as the inaugural Police Oversight Monitor for Fort Worth, left the job to establish a police oversight presence in Alexandria, Virginia.