Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo hopes to submit his department’s policies to a thorough external review. The proposed policy assessment follows a handful of high-profile scandals involving the department.
Police hope the City Commission approves nearly $75,000 to pay for a review by the Washington, D.C.-based Police Executive Research Forum.
TPD Administrative Services Bureau Director Greg Frost says the goal is to make sure the department’s policies align with national best practices.
“It has been decades since we have had a policy review of critical areas where we really are looking to an outside group to look at us," he says. "Polices aren’t static. They evolve. And they evolve based on changes in legal precedent and changes in community expectations."
DeLeo took over in December after predecessor Dennis Jones retired amidst scandal. After video showed a DUI suspect getting injured during her arrest, the department changed its use-of-force policies. Previously, TPD had settled a multi-million-dollar lawsuit by the family of a murdered police informant. And its recent handling of the Jameis Winston sexual assault allegation has drawn national criticism.
Frost says, the money for the review would come from funds seized during narcotics arrests. The City Commission will consider the allocation at its meeting scheduled for Wednesday, June 11, at 4 p.m. in the City Commission Chambers.
