Fort Myers, FL – U en executive order signed by President Biden, federal law enforcement is now required to have body cameras, restrict warrants and use suffocation only in certain circumstances.
The law was signed two years before the assassination of George Floyd.
“To combat the deep fear and trauma, the exhaustion that especially black Americans have felt for generations,” Biden said. “And direct this private and public outrage and at the rare assessment of progress for years to come.”
Local police departments in southwest Florida are not required to follow the rules, although some already follow many of the rules of the order.
“I think it helps as a motivation, especially for funding, to come and help local agencies improve, whether it’s funding equipment, training and so on and so forth,” said Dr. Randy Nelson, director of the Center. for Law and Social Justice at Bethune Cookman University in Dayton.
Nelson says some of the policies outlined are already in place in Florida.
“If you look at many law enforcement agencies, it’s either suffocation or warrants – many agencies are already doing it, even without this order,” he explained.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Cape Coral Police have not commented on their policies. A Fort Myers police spokesman made the statement.
As an internationally accredited law enforcement agency, certified under Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation by the Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (CALEA). The Fort Myers Police Department remains on best policies, procedures and best practices. Thus, the provisions set out in President Biden’s order on police uniforms, although recently necessary for federal law enforcement, are already in place for the Fort Myers Police Department. These policies, procedures and evidence of compliance are independently reviewed annually by CALEA professional evaluators. In addition, the FMPD is in full compliance with the Presidential Decree on Safe Police for Safe Communities (June 16, 2020), Executive Order № 13929. This certification of compliance ensures that the Police Department remains eligible for discretion from the U.S. Department of Justice. Grant funding is only available to state, local, and university or higher law enforcement agencies that have been certified through a certification body.
Fort Myers Police Department
Last year, Governor DeSantis signed many ordinances into the law. Florida agencies should already limit suffocation, better use strength training and policies for these investigations.
“I hope they get out of this – it’s another opportunity to get better,” Nelson said.
Also according to the order, only federal agencies are required to have body cameras. The Cape Coral and Fort Myers police have body cameras, and the LCSO does not.
