TAMPA, Fla. — On Thursday, Tampa's city council was pushed to reconsider its current path for dissolving its Citizen Review Board (CRB).
It's all connected to House Bill 601, recently signed into law.
It essentially says cities and counties can't "create or enforce any ordinance" that would allow civilians to have "oversight" into law enforcement investigations of misconduct.
That language has led to months of confusion and speculation about whether or not the city's CRB could continue to operate.
Local attorney James Shaw has continuously argued that the law doesn't impact Tampa's CRB as they don't have "oversight" into police investigations and instead review "closed" cases.
"Officers are less likely to do something that won't stand the light of day. If they know there will be light of day, if they know there will be sunlight on it," said Shaw.
RELATED: Tampa City Council starting process of dissolving CRB
After recently voting to suspend its CRB, the council was set to start the process of dissolving the board on Thursday.
However, after learning that other CRBs are still operating under the law, the council decided that it needed more time and more information from city staff before proceeding.
"We were told by a lawyer for the city that Miami Dade had closed. We were told that very day. We asked and I believe Mr. Schmid told us that Miami had closed theirs. And so we were working on incorrect information," said Councilwoman
Lynn Hurtak.
The council is expected to take the topic up again at its meeting on November 7.
There was also a push to reinstate CRB in the meantime, but that motion was denied.
Investigative Reporter Katie LaGrone obtained the most recent batch of Florida teacher exit interviews which detail, in their own words, why teachers left the classroom this summer.
