TAMPA, FL— The City Council of Tampa, FL voted in a 6-1 measure Thursday to initiate the dissolution of the Citizens Review Board that was formed in 2015 in response to allegations of racial profiling. The move came just days before a new Florida law, HB 601, came into force eliminating the ability of municipalities to create such bodies. 

The new law allows the formation of civilian oversight boards at the county level appointed by a Sheriff or Police Chief with a minimum of one retired officer but eliminates the ability of “political subdivisions,” including cities, towns, villages, and municipal or metropolitan governments to create or maintain their own boards by ordinance.