ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Police Department’s Citizens Review Board met and got a lot more participation than usual.
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Tuesday, a small group of protesters demonstrated outside Orlando City Hall as they listened in the meeting.
Protester Eric Brown said they were hoping the board could help with police reforms, but he was surprised at the lack of things the board can actually do.
“I find it disappointing. I find it very disappointing,” Brown said.
The nine-member board is appointed by the mayor and tasked with reviewing officer’s alleged uses of excessive force and complaints against officers.
Several people who called in for public comment during the meeting expressed the same frustrations about the board's lack of power.
“You don’t have any powers or subpoena power, so it doesn’t make any sense to even have this,” said one public commenter.
“But there’s no changes, so how many more people need to get beaten, tased, harassed,” said another public commenter.
Vice Chair of the board Caila Coleman agrees. She’s also been out at protests for racial justice and against police brutality.
In fact, during the board’s meeting, they finalized a letter to Police Chief Orlando Rolon, asking for a certain officer, Jonathan Mills, to be removed. Mills has a history of using excessive force and has been investigated by internal affairs before.
But all they can do is recommend he be terminated. Beyond that it’s up to the chief to decide whether to follow their recommendation or not.
“I feel like we should have the power to fire police officers if they’re doing wrong, we should be able to sanction if they’re doing something wrong, really just control the punishment aspect of it, and hold police officers accountable,” Coleman said.
Coleman says she also wants Rolon to attend more or their meetings.
“… actually show up to the meetings so that people can see him, and put a face to a name, and so he can hear the people’s frustrations as well,” she said.
Rolon didn't attend, but the board chairman said that was because they didn't want him to influence the letter they were sending.
The board plans to talk specifically about their powers and rules at their next meeting on July 1.
Spectrum News 13 reached out to both the City of Orlando and the Orlando Police Department about the board’s power and whether they should have more. Both said they received our requests for interviews and will follow up Wednesday.