Florida turns the other way as demand rises for police transparency
A state court says officers who injure or kill can keep their names secret if theyâre victims of a crime. Agencies are retooling protocols.
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Charles Fowler and Doris Floyd visit the grave of their biological son Dominique Mulkey, 26, who was shot to death Oct. 20 by two Tampa police officers. The names of the officers have not been made public. A recent Florida appeals court in an unrelated case said they don t have to be under provisions of Marsy s Law, a voter-approved amendment to the Florida Constitution. [ MARTHA ASENCIO RHINE | Times ]
Florida turns the other way as demand rises for police transparency msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The House Judiciary Committee voted 15-2 to approve Rep.
Cord Byrd‘s bill (
HB 1409) clarifying the state’s preemption over local firearm and ammunition laws.
State law expressly prohibits a local government from creating an “ordinance, regulation, measure, directive, rule, enactment, order or policy” relating to guns that is more restrictive than state law. The broad list was intended to show it includes unwritten policies, but some courts have sided with cities and counties on unwritten rules.
“This does not add anything new,” Byrd, a Neptune Beach Republican, told the panel. “It just clarifies what already exists to make sure that the law is being followed as intended by this body.”
Bipartisan police reform bill fast tracked to House floor floridapolitics.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from floridapolitics.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
House deal on police reforms clears first panel
Cord Byrd. Image via Colin Hackley.
Lawmakers have been preparing a law enforcement reform package for months.
Legislation to prevent excessive use of force by police officers and rebuild trust in the police is now moving through the committee process.
By a unanimous vote, the House Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to approve (
months of negotiations between House leadership, the Florida Legislative Black Caucus and law enforcement groups.
“Trust in our public institutions is vital, and none more so than trust in law enforcement,” Rep.
Cord Byrd said. “This PCB reflects the work and conversations over many months with and between lawmakers, law enforcement and citizens, (and) is a bipartisan effort to promote best law enforcement practices to make them uniform throughout the state.”