Public Outrage Prompts Changes Over Use Of Mug Shots As Targets
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NORTH MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) – After public outrage, changes are coming to the North Miami Beach Police Department.
On Tuesday, the city council adopted a resolution banning the practice of using mug shots and images for real people for target practice.
The policy change comes after someone noticed that the sniper team used mug shots of minority men for target practice.
North Miami Beach residents held demonstrations at the police department calling for change and then took their concerns to city council members Tuesday night.
The city manager Ana Garcia apologized to the community but residents demanded that the apology come from the North Miami Beach Chief of Police.
"City manager, I respect you for apologizing for someone who is a coward and they couldn't show their face to the people," said Lisa Kelly.
Kelly's mentally ill son's mug shot was used during the target practice.
Several people questioned way the Chief Dennis wasn't at the meeting to hear the community concerns and called from him to be disciplined.
"He should at least be suspended and put under public review and should be fired in reality. Its important because all of these officers take their leadership from him," said North Miami Beach Business owner Jack Lieberman.
The police chief's fate will be determined by the outcome of the independent investigation that's being launched into the departments training procedures.
The council is also forming a citizens review board to take up this issue and give suggestions for improvement.
The city council plans on sending the resolution banning the use of mug shot to the Florida League of Cities in hopes that more police departments in the state and across the country will adopt the same policy.
