MIAMI – New state legislation signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last week has been enacted, effectively halting the ability of citizen review boards to investigate the actions of local law enforcement officers.
DeSantis referred to these review boards as “highly political” and accused them of being “stacked with activists,” expressing concern over their impartiality.
Under House Bill 601, sheriffs would have the authority to establish “civilian oversight” boards tasked with reviewing law enforcement agencies’ policies and procedures,” according to DeSantis.
Local 10 News spoke with Larry Handfield, an attorney who is currently representing a man who was shot by Miami police about the new law. He also served as the first chairman of Miami’s Citizen Investigative Panel.
“The purpose was to give credibility for the citizens that their investigations, their complaints, were going to be seriously looked at with an open eye, with the ability of objectivity,” he said. “In my opinion, it always helps the police be able to do a better job knowing that there is another eye watching them.”
Expressing concern, Handfield fears that all of that credibility will disappear when HB 601 goes into effect.
These boards will retain the ability to meet and exercise First Amendment freedoms, but they will no longer have the right to initiate disciplinary proceedings.
Ursula Price, the Executive Director of the Miami-Dade Independent Civilian Panel, emphasized on last Sunday’s episode of This Week in South Florida, that their focus is not on punishing individual officers but rather on providing a civilian perspective for policymaking and analysis within the police department and the criminal justice system.
“Our focus is not punishing individual officers,” she said. “We at no point have had the power to do so. We help bring civilian perspective into policy making and analysis of the police department and what our criminal justice system should be.”
Rodney Jacobs, a member of the Miami Civilian Investigative Panel, stated that while law enforcement recognizes the necessity of civilian oversight for public safety, they prefer not to have civilians involved in the process.
“They understand that civilian oversight is a necessary component that makes our public safety system work, but they just don’t want civilians doing it,” said Jacobs.
Under the new law, any oversight board must be established or re-established by a sheriff or chief, who will appoint its members. Additionally, at least one retired law enforcement officer must sit on the board, raising concerns about its independence.
“I think it’s very misleading to think that police chiefs are going to appoint people who are independent thinkers in the community,” said Handfield.
Local 10 News has reached out to police chiefs in Fort Lauderdale, Miami-Dade and Miami to get more information on review boards that are already established in their respective cities.
A Miami-Dade police spokesperson sent the following statement to Local 10 News Tuesday:
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department also released a statement on the new law which you can read here:
“The Fort Lauderdale Police Department recognizes the significance of fostering public trust and remains dedicated to integrity, transparency, and accountability. As we adapt to any changes resulting from this legislation, we will continue to work within legal frameworks to serve our community. Any impacts that occur as a result of this legislation will be managed effectively and in a manner that continues to foster trust between our department and the citizens we serve.”
The law is scheduled to go into effect on July 1.