The City of Kissimmee is a step closer to reviving a citizens review board of Kissimmee Police Department policy.
After giving city staff the go-ahead back in November to come up with the framework, city commissioners last week approved the re-creation of the Civilian Police Oversight Board. A final approval would be given at the next City Commission meeting on July 1.
The push to re-instate the board, which dissolved a little over a year ago after state laws changed what such boards could do, came after previous KPD Chief Betty Holland resigned amid a State Attorney and grand jury investigation into what they called the installment of a “culture of silence” regarding the reporting of excessive use of force cases.
The ordinance would allow for five to seven members named to two-year maximum terms. The police chief would appoint them, and one would be required by law to be a retired law enforcement officer. The ordinance would install the City Attorney as a legal advisor.
That board would, “Review policies, procedures, rules, regulations, general or special, upon request of a City of Kissimmee Commissioner, a member of the Board, the City Manager, a designee of the City Manager, the Chief of Police, or a designee of the Chief of Police.”
The board would make its recommendations to Police Chief Chuck Broadway, including recommendation of approval, disapproval or modification of the KPD rule, or ask for additional information, research or inquiry.
Per city documents, its mission would be to, “Further the public purposes of strengthening relationships and fostering trust between KPD and the community by providing transparency to KPD operations and an additional forum for the community to interact with KPD.” Broadway said he was never been part of such a board in his time with the Clermont Police Department, but looks forward to the community input.
“People externally get to look at procedures to make sure it they are the best fit for the community,” he said. “I have some ideas that could really make this a good thing.”
