Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Dale V.C. Holness
Department: County Commission
Information
Requested Action
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MOTION TO DIRECT Office of the County Attorney to analyze the feasibility of creating a citizens review board that would examine the results of completed internal affairs investigations at Broward County law enforcement agencies, including the Broward Sheriff’s Office and municipal police departments, publish reports and statistics, and make recommendations for reform; and directing the Office of the County Attorney to prepare a draft Ordinance or administrative code Resolution to create such board, if appropriate. (Mayor Holness)
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Why Action is Necessary
Permits Board direction to the Office of the County Attorney to draft the referenced Ordinance or Resolution.
What Action Accomplishes
Directs the Office of the County Attorney to draft the referenced Ordinance or Resolution, if appropriate.
Is this Action Goal Related
Yes
Previous Action Taken
Summary Explanation/Background
This Motion supports the Board of County Commissioners' Value of “Approaching human services collaboratively and compassionately, with special emphasis on the most vulnerable,” and its Goals to “Effectively advocate for and acquire municipal, state and federal financial support to equitably address health and human services needs of the entire community, through a truly coordinated system of care,” “Deliver evidence-based services to the public, and connect customers and their family members, to sustainable support, with special emphasis on financial supports,” and “Collaborate with public and private partners to find creative, equitable, and responsible solutions to systemic community problems, especially permanent, supportive housing for persons experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.”
Incidents of police misconduct continue to plague law-enforcement agencies nationwide, undermining trust between the community and its law enforcement officers and tarnishing the image of the many officers who serve their communities with diligence, skill, sensitivity, and honor. At times, as in the past few weeks, police misconduct has even led to civil unrest, such as the protests seen nationally in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Here in Broward County, police officers used tear gas against protesters, and the County Administrator imposed a curfew for several nights to prevent further violence and destruction of property.
This Motion would direct the Office of the County Attorney to analyze the County’s options for creating a citizens review board (“review board”) to examine police misconduct within Broward County. The review board would not directly investigate incidents of misconduct nor decide upon or recommend discipline of officers in specific cases. Instead, it would review the findings of internal investigations conducted by the Broward Sheriff’s Office and municipal police departments, and external investigations of incidents involving Broward officers, for the purpose of disseminating information about police misconduct, identifying patterns or problems, and making recommendations for reform. The Office of the County Attorney would be further directed to draft an Ordinance or administrative code Resolution to create a review board if feasible and appropriate.
Source of Additional Information
Heidi Richards, Chief of Staff, 954-357-7009
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary