Fort Pierce resident Levonte Smith recently beat an attempted first-degree murder charge, but lost many of his worldly possessions in the process.
While Smith was awaiting trial, the police allegedly lost, destroyed or disposed of his belongings, including credit and debit cards, his birth certificate, his Social Security card, his car keys, cell phone, ear buds, jewelry, clothing and shoes.
After being acquitted, Smith complained to his attorney that he was having trouble finding work because most of his identifying paperwork was gone. Smith is petitioning to get reimbursement for his lost items from the courts in a case that is still pending.
Fort Pierce Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burney declined to comment on the specifics of the case while an internal investigation is ongoing, other than to say it was an isolated incident and steps are being taken to ensure what Smith is alleging never happens again.
All of what the chief said may be true, and Smith may yet get some type of relief from the courts, but his case illustrates the flaws in a new state law that prohibits citizen advisory boards from looking into allegations of police misconduct.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law last month that sharply limits citizen review of police activities. The new law allows sheriffs or police chiefs to appoint citizen advisory panels, but prohibits those panels from investigating specific instances of officer misbehavior.
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The panels will be allowed to evaluate and make recommendations on law enforcement policies and procedures. However, without being able to examine instances in which policies weren't followed, it's not clear what criteria these advisory boards will use to suggest meaningful changes.
State Rep. Wyman Duggan, the Jacksonville Republican who sponsored the new legislation, said the type of civilian panels previously allowed under law hindered hiring for law enforcement jobs in Florida because the panels differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, which adds uncertainty to an "already a very stressful profession."
No question being a police officer is stressful, but the job also comes with powers to deprive citizens suspected of criminal activity of their freedoms and, in some extreme cases, even their lives.
And with great power comes great responsibility.
Florida's former law has allowed citizen panels to investigate alleged misconduct, but not mete out punishments. If a citizen panel found evidence of wrongdoing, the best it could do was bring attention to it, with hopes an appropriate law enforcement agency would follow up with disciplinary or legal action.
Not all communities had advisory boards empaneled under the old law. In Fort Pierce, where Smith lives, the local advisory panel has operated in much the same way panels will be able to operate under the new law, serving as a sounding board for best practices in law enforcement.
But cities and counties should have the option to create panels with more far-reaching investigative powers.
Having citizen panels conduct independent reviews is a good way to build community trust in law enforcement, which can help avoid unrest sometimes associated with police shootings and other controversial cases.
Thankfully, protests along the Treasure and Space Coasts were peaceful following George Floyd's death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.
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Yet relationships between police and communities they serve may require ongoing maintenance to prevent resentment and distrust from building.
It's not difficult to imagine how one bad police shooting in our region could trigger potentially violent reactions, particularly if citizens felt officers were likely to go unpunished.
Independent advisory panels give citizens an outlet for expressing their grievances.
As to Duggan's argument advisory boards around the state operated under different sets of rules, it's unlikely a police officer or sheriff's deputy would need to deal with more than one board within the community he or she serves.
If officers are following their own departmental procedures, which surely they must learn, then there would be no chance of running afoul of one of the old citizen advisory boards, anyway, right?
When citizens are uncooperative with police officers, they may be asked: "What have you got to hide?" Well, the same question can be posed to police officers who are resistant to the idea of citizens advisory panels looking over their shoulders.
Good cops have nothing to fear from citizen oversight into their activities. This new law may erode public trust in law enforcement and possibly create more opportunities for bad cops to go unpunished.
And that's what's really stressful.
Editorials published by TCPalm/Treasure Coast Newspapers are decided collectively by its editorial board.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Citizens advisory boards can and should provide oversight into alleged police misconduct
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