POLICE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING

THIS GROUP MEETS ONCE A MONTH, AND IS SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY AS PART OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE MIAMI POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

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At last night's meeting, retired Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor, who is under a contract with the City of Miami to be the independent monitor for the agreement reached between the Miami Police Department and the US Department of Justice, didn't necessarily impress me when she attempted to claim that she didn't have to turn over draft copies of her reports, which was not only factually incorrect, but raises for me at least, a question about her claims to be fair and impartial, because if a 30 year veteran cop from Tampa still doesn't know the Florida Public Records Law - and obviously couldn't have read her contract which would have include the provision that she was subject to all of the provisions of that law as a contractee with the City - then this is just going to be another Merry-Go-Round with this woman being paid $150 an hour to dazzle, baffle and bullshit everyone as she makes sure to look out for the interests of the police department over the interests of the community.

You'll not read any of this in the "story" that David Smiley wrote for the Miami Herald, but in fact, both Ms. Evian White, the Chairman of the Committee who is an attorney and I questioned Castor over her claim that she didn't have to turn over the draft copies, and even the legal advisor for the police department conceded that there were no exemptions that would allow her to do so.

This issue is discussed beginning at 1:49 of the video,  and is at the core of, and and critical to the participation and input of the community into the process, and this is a critically important discussion that everyone should pay attention to.

This committee welcomes and needs significant community involvement and starting next month I'll post their meeting notices so that folks can become aware of when and where they will be meeting.  Each meeting will be held in a different part of the city.

Given all that is going on within the police department, and all the new stories and allegations yet to surface, there is nothing more important for the citizens of the City of Miami to pay attention to than the activities of the police department.

DECEMBER 13, 2016

UPDATE

TAMPA ATTORNEY AND BLOGGER HAYDEE OROPESA WAS AT LAST  NIGHT'S MEETING COVERING TAMPA POLICE CHIEF CASTOR, AND TODAY SHE POSTED AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE CHIEF AND HER PROBLEMS WITH THE BLACK COMMUNITY IN TAMPA WHERE HER OFFICERS, "FOR YEARS, WROTE THOUSANDS OF TICKETS TO BLACK BICYCLISTS AND STOPPED COUNTLESS MORE IN THE NAME OF FIGHTING CRIME," AS REPORTED BY THE TAMPA BAY TIMES. HERE IS THE LINK TO HAYDEE'S BLOG, SO YOU CAN GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE INDEPENDENT MONITOR WHO'S NOW IN CHARGE OF MAKING MIAMI'S POLICE DEPARTMENT STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY RIGHT.