A 2022 report found that Florida’s 21 oversight boards show a decrease in Black arrests and help bridge the gap between police and civilians.
A bill introduced in Florida could do away with civilian oversight of police departments.
Florida state Rep. Wyman Duggan introduced
In Florida, these boards have no legal power, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported. The boards can’t force those in law enforcement to testify in court or subpoena any police agencies. This is due in part to a 2017 state Supreme Court ruling.
A 2022 study by the Leroy Collins Institute at Florida State University found that 21 cities in Florida have civilian oversight boards for their police departments — Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Lakeland and West Palm Beach among them. The report said the oversight boards show a decrease in Black arrest rates and help bridge the gap between police and civilians.
“Recent high-profile police incidents against members of the Black community across the United States have garnered national attention, including several police actions in 2020 that resulted in serious injury or death of Black individuals,” it stated. With the “increased push for transparency in police departments and the public,” it continued, civilian oversight boards “can be a step in improving both officer and civilian behavior.”
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