Miami-Dade Commissioner Barbara Jordan Comes Up With Civilian Oversight Panel Plan To Address Police Brutality
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A group of protesters met up at the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office on Monday to continue a call for change. While it was a smaller group than previous protests, like the ones we saw Friday and Sunday forcing I-95 to close in Miami, leaders say they're still listening.
"I really want to get out there and march with them," said Miami-Dade Commissioner Barbara Jordan.
Commissioner Jordan has instead come up with a plan that may help address police brutality and systemic racism. She wants each county leader to appoint someone to a civilian oversight board to ease concerns and not just about the police department.
"We really want to make sure that it is addressing issues countywide that employees and the community may have," the commissioner said.
If someone files a complaint, a group of judges, social workers and even HR workers in the county will investigate. That proposal may win over support from Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who previously vetoed the idea of an oversight committee
"I didn't want just representation from special interests groups. If we are going to have a civilian investigative panel, it has to be made up of people from the community, all the community," the mayor said.
RELATED: Mayor Carlos Gimenez Discusses Civilian Review Panel For Police Misconduct Allegations
The board will also make recommendations to the county mayor or department head. If the civilian panel is constantly ignored by officials, the commissioner says voters have the final say.
"It gives justification to say, 'Hey, wait a minute, we have an election coming up and we need to pay attention to this information," she said.
The civilian board wouldn't have power to overrule any department leader's decision. CBS4's Ty Russell asked the commissioner whether it'll have an equal amount of influence compared to a police or workers union. She hopes leaders are fair.
"Unions are paid to do what they do, to advocate for their constituents. But we have to realize as administrators and elected officials that we have a responsibility to the public," the commissioner said.
Even though the board may have subpoena power to call witnesses, officers are not included.
"We cannot subpoena police officers because of their protections based on the bill of rights that they have, especially if there's an investigation going on," said Commissioner Jordan.
On Monday, the Miami-Dade Police Department worked to ease concerns. The department says it doesn't use chokeholds or strangleholds. Officers are already trained on de-escalation tactics. There's policy in place to exhaust all options before shooting. If firing a shot, a warning is required. Also, officers must intervene if they see one of their own out of line.
Commissioner Jordan says she plans to propose the idea on Tuesday, June 16.
