DeSantis signs bill to defang police oversight panels like the one Miami voters created

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a bill limiting civilian investigations by government-affiliated boards into the behavior of local law enforcement officers, including in Miami, St. Petersburg and Tampa. The law, which takes effect in July, has consequences for civilian oversight panels that in more than 20 Florida counties and cities look into citizen complaints against officers by using public records and witness interviews and by auditing police investigations. Some boards, which make recommendations about discipline, were created by voters, others by government officials following policing controversies. Under the bill,...