Mitch Perry
After months of intense trench warfare last summer over the formation of a police citizens review board, the board’s 11 members convened for the first time as a group Tuesday night at Tampa City Hall.
The group selected North Tampa businessman Rasheed Ali Aquil as chairman, and Irene Guy as vice chairman (Former Judge E.J. Salcines declined when his name was submitted as chairman).
Next, they got a primer from City Attorney Rebecca Kert on the ramifications of the Sunshine Law, which appeared to petrify some participants, as in “What have I gotten myself into?”
There was only one member of the public who spoke at the initial meeting. USF public relations major Lee Andrews acted a bit befuddled that more people didn’t show up, but then again there weren’t any cases for the group to consider.
Whether or not the review board will be what activists hoped for when they advocated such a group last spring remains to be seen, but the more stunning fact is that Tampa was one of the last major cities in the country without such a panel.
The issue of holding the police accountable has become a national story the past two years, aroused by private and police video of law enforcement conducting questionable actions on black people.
At Tuesday night’s latest CNN Democratic town hall from South Carolina, Hillary Clinton was asked about Beyonce‘s recent performance at the Super Bowl, perceived by law enforcement to be anti-police.
“We have problems in our criminal justice system in a lot of places that we can’t ignore,” she told CNN’s Chris Cuomo. “Put aside any particular celebrity, or any particular song or performance. The fact is we have too many instances here in South Carolina.”
She went on to emphasize that most police officers do their work honorably and said the American people should show them the respect they deserve. But she didn’t run away from the issue of police brutality.
“We have lost too many young people, so what’s the answer?” she said. “I don’t think the answer is for us to find ourselves in opposing camps where we’re just going to be looking at each other with mistrust. We have to figure out how we’re going to lift up the good practices …”
Might Rick Scott be on Donald Trump’s shortlist of potential VP nominees if he continues to ascend in the GOP race for president?
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Guess what? The four Republicans running for U.S. Senate this year in Florida don’t like President Obama‘s plan to close Guantanamo Bay by the end of this year.
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David Jolly is trying to go where Alan Grayson struck out last year — trying to raise the cost-of-living increases for those on Social Security.
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Rick Scott was in Ybor on Tuesday, touting how many jobs he’s help create since taking office.
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It’s getting hot between Americans for Prosperity Florida and Enterprise Florida, as the Legislature works on possible passage of Governor Scott’s $250 million request.
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Sounding like out of “Do The Right Thing,” Spike Lee has cut a radio ad airing in South Carolina, where he touts the bona fides of Bernie Sanders.
