Civil rights activists push for Metropolis Council management of police evaluate in Tampa

TAMPA – Tampa civil rights organizations urged the city to proceed with plans to give the city council more power and the mayor less power over the police’s Citizens Review Board.

The council members voted 5-2 on Thursday for seven appointments to the eleven-member board. Mayor Jane Castor had requested a 5-5-1 split, with the 11th member being a council-appointed NAACP representative.

At a press conference in front of City Hall on Monday, the NAACP and other groups welcomed the Council’s action. You have described the current review board as “toothless” since it was founded in 2015 under Mayor Bob Buckhorn.

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“We are delighted that Tampa City Council has finally voted in favor of a Citizen Review Board in Tampa that is not controlled by the mayor,” said Yvette Lewis, president of the Hillsborough NAACP, in a press release.

Nobody argues that Tampa police officers don’t have a difficult job, Julius Adams of the Hillsborough County’s American Civil Liberties Union said during the press conference. Instead, said Adams, the activists want to make sure officials “do this job right” and “give the average person space to be heard”.

“We didn’t start this fight with the Tampa Police Department,” added Lewis. “It’s time for transparency. It is time for trust between Tampa citizens and their police force, and now the Citizens Review Board will ensure accountability and be able to rebuild that trust with all citizens. “

City council members are expected to vote on changes to the composition of the Citizens Review Board on June 17th. However, criticism from former police chief Castor and police chief Brian Dugan raised concerns that the mayor could veto the measure and force another five-member majority vote to override it.

This is a developing story. Stay with tampabay.com for updates.