DeSantis signs bills limiting police review boards, creating buffer for first responders (original) (raw)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills Friday that he says will support law enforcement, but which critics warn will undermine the public's ability to prevent police brutality and corruption.

"I don't think there's anyone that can match what we've done to protect the citizens of this state, but particularly to ensure that we respect and protect the men and women who wear the uniform," DeSantis said at the bill signing event in St. Augustine, surrounded by uniformed officers and standing behind a lectern sign that said, "Supporting Law Enforcement."

One bill (SB 184) creates a 25-foot "no-go" zone around first responders, including police. The other (HB 601) would limit what citizen police oversight boards can do, including investigating complaints of officer misconduct, and would require these panels to be re-established under county sheriffs and municipal police chiefs, who would appoint the members.

DeSantis said the legislation "recognizes we've got some strange currents going on in our society right now that really seek to delegitimize law enforcement," accusing news media outlets of warping narratives about police for attention and "clicks."

He cited the recent police killing of Dexter Reed in Chicago and the subsequent controversy over use-of-force and traffic stop practices. Officers fired at the man nearly 100 times during a traffic stop, reportedly caused by Reed not wearing a seatbelt. The governor accused some journalists of ignoring that Reed fired first.

Police protection:DeSantis signs bills protecting police, limiting review boards. What do SB 184 and HB 601 do?

Previous coverage:Florida Legislature passes 'no-go' zone around first responders despite transparency concerns

Getting too close to police could result in misdemeanor

Effective Jan. 1, 2025, the "no-go" zone bill would create a second-degree misdemeanor for anyone who, after a warning, approaches or remains within 25 feet of working first responders with the intent to harass, threaten, impede or interfere. That's punishable by up to 60 days behind bars.

"You shouldn't be in a situation where you're at a traffic stop, you're responding to a call of someone in distress, and then you have people come trying to interdict or trying to harass you from performing your duty," DeSantis said. "We view that as a problem, and now you're going to be held accountable."

Some media and First Amendment advocates have questioned the measure, including First Amendment Foundation Executive Director Bobby Block, who said its language was overly broad and unlikely to survive a legal challenge.

"We find the law is highly discretionary and would enable responders to order reporters and citizens with smartphones to stop video or audio recording, or simply observing, in violation of their constitutional rights," Block wrote in a letter urging DeSantis to veto the bill.

"Impairing the ability of civilians to observe and record police conduct is a significant concern," he added. "Recordings of police misconduct have played a vital role in the national conversation about criminal justice for many decades."

Moreover, a number of Black Democratic lawmakers spoke against the measure as it moved through the legislative session, saying it would be used to prevent their constituents from documenting police brutality.

The legislation comes at a time of increased public attention after the police murder of George Floyd and other high-profile cases of police misconduct.

"The only reason we know what happened to George Floyd is because of a girl who was filming his murder close by, and it is apparent to me today that this body is more concerned with the comfort of the police officer than it is with justice and truth," said Rep. Lavon Bracy Davis, D-Ocoee.

The bill was approved on a mostly party-line vote in the House, but only got one "no" vote — from a Democrat — in the Senate.

Legislature passes HB 601:Citizen boards that flourished after George Floyd's killing face new limits in Florida

Law enforcement doesn't 'need to be scrutinized again and again,' FDLE head says

The citizen oversight board legislation would take effect July 1.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said there are already several agencies that are charged with such investigations, including his, along with police internal affairs agencies.

"These men and women do not need to be scrutinized again and again by a committee that has no idea what they're talking about," Glass said at the press conference.

And allowing sheriffs and municipal police chiefs to pick board members "is fairness," Glass said.

There are 21 citizen oversight boards in Florida, including in Daytona Beach, Delray Beach, Gainesville, Tallahassee and West Palm Beach. The scope of most already are limited, confined to investigating and issuing independent reports that follow a law enforcement agency’s own internal affairs probe.

The bill was approved 81-28 in a mostly party-line vote by the House after clearing the Senate unanimously.

“We don’t believe the police can best investigate the police,” said Rep. Christopher Benjamin, D-Miami Gardens, at the time.

John Kennedy of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida's Capital Bureau contributed. This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA TODAY Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule can be reached at DSoule@gannett.com.