The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board
Florida may be a place for “second chances,” but when cops run afoul of the law and are forced from their jobs, yet keep on working in other law enforcement agencies that s ridiculous, and potentially dangerous to the public.
The ease of second chances for criminal cops to keep on working undermines community trust in the good officers who protect and serve. Yet in the Sunshine State, a police officer with a record of on-duty criminal activity can easily move from job to job with surprisingly little difficulty and even less accountability.
The state has laws and procedures on the books to keep bad officers from finding work elsewhere. Too often, though, these laws are just ignored by local law enforcement and the state agency responsible for overseeing standards policies. It s as if the words “must” and “shall” have lost meaning.
How very different was the oratory of President Donald Trump before his gathered thousands on Jan. 6 before they marched on the Capitol. He told them they must strike back against weak Republicans, corrupt Democrat-run cities and the enemy media. He said, You re the real people, you re the people who built this nation. Did he not see the white nationalist symbols, the Confederate flags scattered through the sea of Trump banners?
It was in the model of King that millions of people, in every state and many foreign countries, took to the streets last summer to protest the murder of George Floyd under the knee of a blasé Minneapolis police officer. These protests were largely peaceful. And they were triggered by a truth: that racism still exists in many quarters of American society all these years after King tried so hard to illuminate and eliminate it.
The state s botched COVID vaccine rollout signals need for better overall pandemic response. It is time for other leaders to step up and challenge DeSantis solo act.