City makes police panel recommendation

Six weeks after the Police Advisory Panel turned over to the city its final report with 62 recommendations and 49 sub-recommendations on how to improve the Sarasota Police Department, the city will reveal which of those measures it supports.

City commissioners will hear this evening a staff report on the panel’s suggestions and may implement. Of the 111 total recommendations, city officials say 40 have already been completed. Thirty-eight of those are supported but will need more time to complete. Seven have alternate suggestions from city staff; eight are supported but need outside help to complete; and four require further explanation.

City staff does not support, because of budget constraints or objections, 14 of the recommendations. They include:

• Creating a permanent Police Advisory Panel.

• Deleting language that would make it difficult to prosecute people who make false accusations against police officers.

• Revising the Early Intervention Program, which helps identify problem officers.

• Allocating money to help the department recruit minority officers.

• Providing housing to officers living in high-crime areas.

• Conducting a $40,000 to $80,0000 citizens survey to gauge the success of the police-department changes.

City Manager Bob Bartolotta said implementing all the suggested changes would cost the city more than $500,000.

Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].