Florida bill would ban civilian police oversight statewide. Critics say that's counterproductive

More than two dozen cities and counties in Florida could lose their independent, civilian-run police oversight agencies if a bill filed in the Florida Legislature becomes law.

The bill would effectively ban civilian oversight of police departments in Florida, and only allow police to investigate and hold themselves accountable for any potential wrongdoing.

Advocates say the prospective ban on civilian oversight of policing would betray efforts to foster better relations and trust among police and communities.

“Investigations that are done completely in-house, where information only comes and goes from internal elements to the law enforcement agency — there just tends to be less trust in that process,” said Cameron McElhinney, the Executive Director for the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement, a national group.

“If something is done externally to law enforcement, that is seen — whether it's real or perceived — as more legitimate,” she added.