TAMPA, Fla. — Legislation regarding the future of citizen review boards (CRBs) and police oversight committees, known as HB 601, is heading to Gov. Ron DeSantis for approval or veto. The governor has not yet revealed if he supported the proposal.

What You Need To Know

  • Legislation regarding the future of citizen review boards and police oversight committees will be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis for approval or veto

  • The boards advise departments on previous interactions between police and citizens
  • Similar functions are performed by 21 police oversight committees in Florida, including Lakeland and Tampa

One of the bill’s sponsors state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia says many review boards are made up of “political appointees” who lack law enforcement expertise.

He wants to see sheriffs or police chiefs create civilian boards to oversee department policies and procedures instead, with retired law enforcement participating.

“Many of these civilian review boards do not have members on them that understand policing, understand the law, understand what police officers go through,” said Ingoglia.

The pending decision on this legislation has members of civilian review boards are uncertain about their future role and involvement.

When Lakeland native Dr. Shandale Terrell came back to his hometown, he had hopes of pursuing law enforcement as a full-time profession. 

“But God put me in the education field, so I have no regrets because I’m helping youth,” said Terrell.

He has been an educator with the Polk County School District since 2008. Ten years later, he was given the opportunity to help connect the community with law enforcement as the president of the Lakeland Police Citizen Advisory Board.

“We’ve been proactive on issues and concerns where we heard the residents had a need for body cameras. So, we wrote a letter together as a board and presented it to the city commission and the police chief," he said. "It was supported in addition to a raise for the Lakeland Police Department officers, so we could be more competitive and hire the best officers."

The board advises the department on previous interactions between police and citizens. Similar functions are performed by 21 police oversight committees in Florida, including Lakeland and Tampa.

Dr. Carolyn Collins chairs Tampa’s Citizen Review Board, which reviews closed police cases for misconduct.

“We then make decisions that the decision about that case was right or wrong,” she said.

According to Attorney James Shaw, the former chapter president of Tampa ACLU, CRBs operate like auditors. 

“My interpretation of this bill is that it says don’t investigate to CRBs that already weren’t investigating. It says don’t oversee to CRBs that already weren’t overseeing,” said Shaw. “I think they’re going to find out that it doesn’t actually change the business of very many CRBs in Florida in any noticeable way, even if it was their intention to do that.”

Police organizations have expressed support for the bill as a measure to protect the rights of officers.

Now they’re just waiting to see what happens next.