Amid calls to bring back the civilian police review board, the Kissimmee City Commission will consider the matter on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS
WFTV spoke to two members of the former board and they told us they wanted to see the board back, even if a new state law limits its power.
Read: Kissimmee police officer relieved of duty after 2024 charge in use-of-force incident
That board was first formed in 2021 but was dissolved in June when Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law that severely limited the role of oversight boards.
By law, boards are only allowed to review law enforcement policies and procedures, not use-of-force cases.
Still, former Citizen Police Review Board vice chair Nilisa Council and board member Nina Hill said they believe bringing back the board could help restore confidence in the Kissimmee Police Department amid a grand jury’s call for a ‘culture change’.
Read: 2 Kissimmee police officers have been relieved of duty following a WFTV report
“If we’re not there, we have no opinion at all. So I would prefer to be there in some form,” the Council said.
The review board discussion comes as Kissimmee’s interim police chief says he is working to restructure the agency from the ground up following 9 Investigates’ reporting on “systemic problems” with the department.
Regarding the Police Oversight Review Board, please note that the board was dissolved as of June 30, 2024, as a result of recent state legislation that took effect on July 1. This change in the law significantly limits the role of such councils, especially in assessing complaints about the use of force, which they were previously authorized to do.
The issue will be presented Tuesday at the upcoming city commission meeting to seek guidance on how to proceed. Ultimately, it would be up to the city commission to determine whether to move forward, how to do so, and whether the scope of the board’s powers under Florida law would be an effective solution for the department to address the issues suits that are desired. assessed.
Spokesperson for the City of Kissimmee
This is a development story. WFTV will hear more from the City of Kissimmee and former Police Board members and WFTV Channel 9 beginning at 4 p.m.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
