Central Florida police chiefs and community leaders showed support Tuesday for a report on policing practices that encourages law enforcement agencies statewide to adopt reforms aimed at increasing trust, transparency and accountability.
Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón, who was involved in creating the report with a subcommittee for the Florida Police Chiefs Association, said some of the recommendations are already in place locally, but policies and services provided by law enforcement are inconsistent across agencies in Florida.
“We have got to come up with a better way to have the process be the same throughout,” he said during a press conference attended by law enforcement leaders from Osceola, Seminole, Lake and Volusia counties. “It’s easier said than done.”
Calling it a “roadmap to change,” officials recommended agencies use the report to start conversations with their communities, though it was unclear how many have done so.
“Everyone has a responsibility, we believe, to take this report,” Rolón said. “Their communities also have a responsibility to [ensure] that, in my opinion, if this is what they want for their law enforcement agencies to reflect, that they demand that.”
The report’s recommendations focus on six pillars: building trust, policy and oversight, technology and social media, community policing and crime reduction training, and officer wellness and safety. The suggestions include:
Standardizing a culture of transparency and accountability by publicly posting arrests, traffic stops, use of force and other law enforcement data, as well as quickly communicating in an open manner about use-of-force incidents or police misconduct.
Cultivating a more inclusive workforce by developing programs to recruit and retain diverse officer candidates.
Changing use-of-force policies to include a statement about the “sanctity of life” and emphasizing the presumption of innocence and implicit bias during trainings.
Reviewing how sworn officers can be supplemented with civilian personnel who have expertise in mental health crisis intervention, trauma/peer support and addiction.
The subcommittee behind the report was established in the wake of last summer’s nationwide protests against police violence and institutional racism following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis officer.
Randy Nelson, the program director for Bethune-Cookman University’s Center for Law and Social Justice who also helped write the report, said it gave him hope that FPCA leaders were willing to face criticism about their agencies.
“It takes courageous leadership,” he said. “… This is a roadmap. This may not work in every city or every community, but what does work in every city and every community is policing with the community.”
Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith said Floyd’s killing “struck a nerve” and was an opportunity for law enforcement to reflect on their policies.
“Public safety is everyone’s responsibility,” he said. “Not just the police department, not just the pastors, not just the teachers … it is all of our responsibility to make sure that our community is safe.”
mcordeiro@orlandosentinel.com
