TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers are considering a bill banning civilian police review boards created by local governments.

Supporters of the bill argue that such committees are divisive and undermine internal police investigations.

Senate Bill 576 has passed the first hearing in the Florida Senate, while the House version of the bill (HB 601) has already gone through several panels.

There are currently at least 21 citizen review boards in Florida. The cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg have some of the oldest police oversight committees in the state.

Members from both sides of the Bay have shared why removing police oversight boards would harm community-police relations.

“I’ve been on the citizen review since its inception,” said Tampa Citizen Review Board Chair Dr. Carolyn Collins, who began her tenure on the board in 2015. 

Unlike some cities, Tampa’s CRB does not have subpoena power, but it can review complaints of misconduct and question completed investigations by Internal Affairs.

“We go over them, we review them in detail, everything. And then once they've made a decision, we agree that their decisions were consistent with the policy of TPD, use of force and things of that nature. We want to make sure that they were in total compliance,” Collins said.  

There is a debate in the Florida Legislature regarding the value of such boards. If Senate Bill 576 AND House Bill 601 are passed, citizen police oversight committees would be banned.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, says that these police review boards undermine the investigative work of internal affairs.

“In my opinion, when you’re going through an investigation, I.A. are the smartest people in the room when it comes to this, along with the state’s attorney’s office. So why are we having these boards that become that are basically political appointees reviewing and second-guessing some of the information is brought forward,” said Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill).

Collins has stated that there have been more benefits.

“The whole point behind this was to try to make sure that we built trust,” she said.

Pinellas County District 7 Commissioner Rene Flowers has stated that the board allows citizens to voice their concerns if they believe they have been treated unfairly or had a negative experience with the police.

“I feel the continuation of the board is another check process. I think it’s worth keeping so we can have local control,” said Flowers.

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch believes that there are other pressing issues that need the attention of legislators, such as the lack of affordable housing, increased insurance costs, and flooding.

“This has been an institution (St. Pete Civilian Police Review Committee) that has worked in St. Pete for some time, it’s not an issue. So these blanket solutions to problems that don’t exist aren’t moving us forward. We will see what the legislature does and we will have to respond to that,” said Welch.

Members of citizens review boards in Tampa and St. Pete suggest that the best way to move forward is to strengthen relationships between the police and the community.

The Florida Senate passed SB 576, while HB 601 has cleared two House panels.

If the bills are passed, any civilian oversight board currently in practice would be barred from meeting after the bill’s July 1 effective date.

The St. Petersburg Police Department’s Community Awareness Division Manager, Yolanda Fernandez, shared the following statement with Spectrum News:

“St. Petersburg was the first police department in the Tampa Bay Area to form a Citizen Review Board, and it has proven to be an asset in our decision-making processes. However, CRB aside, the St. Petersburg Police Department is committed to building relationships, providing a safe city, and improving the quality of life for all the citizens it serves.”