TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a bill curtailing citizen oversight of police misconduct by requiring civilian oversight boards to be made up of members appointed by a sheriff or police chief.
The bill was signed at a news conference on Friday morning. DeSantis framed the bill as protecting law enforcement officers, but the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida has criticized the bill as a waste of tax dollars and said it undermines democracy.
DeSantis signs bill banning heat protection laws for outdoor workers
HB 601 mandates that “Civilian Oversight Boards” must be made up of three to seven members who are all appointed by a sheriff or police chief. One of the members must be a retired law enforcement officer.
“HB 601 invalidates the work local communities have put into attempting to increase trust between residents and law enforcement,” NR Hines, policy strategist at ACLU of Florida, said in a statement in February after the bill passed a house committee. “Having a community that feels empowered to hold law enforcement in their area accountable is better for all Floridians.”
“[Civilian review boards] pose no
