Citizens on an advisory board are questioning whether Gainesville police are calling out the SWAT team too often and whether it should be deployed at all for white-collar cases.
The Gainesville Police Department’s SWAT team was used 76 times in the last year, with several criminal apprehensions and zero injuries or deaths, the leader of the team told the city s Police Advisory Board.
Lt. Mike West told the board Wednesday evening that the team has talked several people who had weapons out of situations where they could have harmed themselves or others. He said police officers who volunteer for the team are on call 24 hours a day and are only paid an extra $60 a month.
The concerns follow a discussion about body camera usage in a prior meeting.
Councilmember Keyon Young advocated throughout the meeting for fair body camera usage. He asked, for example, how many times the department has seen officers deactivate their cameras and how many officers have been reprimanded as a result.
According to Gainesville Police Department Chief Inspector Jaime Kurnick, these deactivations were non-existent.
“We did not have any issues with activation within our internal affairs department,” Kurnick said.
Young also presented concerns about the timeliness of body camera recordings.
“There may be some instances where the body camera they may not necessarily turn it on and it may lead to a delayed reaction,” he said.
Body cameras will be required for Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deputies soon
ASCO said it will enforce consequences for any deputy who does not follow wearing policy. May 17, 2021 | 6:19am EDT The Alachua County Sheriff s Office on Southeast Hawthorn Road on Monday, May 3, 2021. (Photo by Mingmei Li)
Nearly half of all law enforcement agencies in the United States require officers to wear a body camera. Soon, the Alachua County Sheriff s Office will join them.
Last October, the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners approved $500,000 for body cameras, ACSO spokesperson Art Forgey said. Deputies who do not wear body cameras when they’re supposed to can face penalties. There is currently not a set date for the body camera requirement.
Meet The 28-Year-Old Truck Driver Leading the Gainesville Police Advisory Board
By Kalia Richardson
April 27, 2021
Fareed Johnson’s life experiences don’t resemble those of people typically chosen to lead civilian police advisory boards across the country.
In Jacksonville, a pastor to more than 1,400 members leads the Jacksonville Safety and Crime Reduction Commission. The chair of the Dallas Community Police Oversight Board is a credit bureau reporting analyst who is also a writer, community activist and public speaker.
A private investor and former chairman of the local Boys and Girls Club heads the board of police commissioners in Kansas City, Missouri. In Columbus, Ohio, the community safety advisory commission is led by a former city attorney who is CEO of the local United Way.
The voting for the 11-member panel’s leadership positions proved contentious.
Council member Bob Cohen recommended Fareed Johnson, a commercial driver who had previously served as vice chair, because of his perspective as a 28-year-old Black man.
However, two members – Keyon Young, 21, a night auditor at a local hotel, and Ernest Walker, 42, who works at a fast-food restaurant – said a newly appointed member should serve as chair.
Walker suggested Andrew Miles serve as chair, saying the 63-year-old executive director of the Greater Duval Neighborhood Association has witnessed police brutality and better understands how the police feel toward the community.
“Mr. Andrew Miles is in the heart of ‘Out East’ Gainesville,” Walker said. “I think he would be a great overseer.”