Miami-Dade County officials call for civilian police review board

Officials in Miami-Dade County said Monday they will push to create a civilian panel in Florida’s most populous county to investigate accusations of police misconduct. 

In a joint statement Monday, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez (R) and Board of County Commissioners Chairwoman Audrey Edmonson said they had “discussed creating a Civilian Investigative Panel to add a layer of review to the already stringent investigations that take place when there are allegations of police misconduct.”

“We want to thank protesters who have continued to peacefully march against racism and abuse of power in the unacceptable death of George Floyd,” the two said. 

“We look forward to working with [District 1] Commissioner Barbara Jordan on her proposal for a review panel and with the Board of County Commissioners to ensure the safety and support of our entire community, thanks to the exceptional men and women at the Miami-Dade Police Department,” they added.

Civilian police oversight agencies exist in several major cities, including the city of Miami, as well as New York, Chicago, Boston, Cleveland and Philadelphia.

Such boards emerged in several major cities in the 1960s despite vocal police opposition in many cases, such as New York, where local police unions successfully initiated a voter referendum disbanding the board. A new board was established in 1993 in the wake of the videotaped beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1991, which also spurred the creation of boards in several other cities.

Floyd, an unarmed black man, died in Minneapolis after police officer Derek Chauvin, who has since been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, knelt on his neck for several minutes despite Floyd’s pleas that he could not breathe.