Police review boards need more public input

Recent events have lit a fire of conversation around the efficacy of local police department’s citizen review boards (Editorial: “Citizen review boards need more clout,” June 21). Having served on and chaired the Orlando Police Department’s review board, I have felt both accomplishment and frustration while serving.

We effected change in some department policy such as limiting the overtime hours officers work or requesting FDLE independently review all officer-involved shootings. But I think if you ask many current or past review board members, they will agree they have at times felt frustration with the Florida Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights and/or police union contracts sometimes seeming to place barriers in the way of commonsense community focused solutions.

During my time as the review board chairman, groups would meet with us to tell us that review boards need more power to investigate, more direct say in the punishment of wayward officers or more input on policy. I have read articles and letters to the editor stating much of the same call for change.

My personal belief is that we need many voices from our community to convene to decide what kind of police boards we want to have. Maybe more powerful boards are required, but maybe not. I do know we have to do the work to understand the Officers Bill of Rights and union contracts to make sure that we not only still take care of the great officers who protect and serve but also the citizens they are sworn to protect and serve.

Eric Jackson Orlando