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Lauderhill commission debates making police chief a charter officer; residents urge keeping manager-led system
Summary
At a special Lauderhill City Commission meeting, Commissioner Saray Martin asked whether the police chief should report directly to the commission to increase accountability; city manager, chief, union and residents largely opposed shifting authority, and the proposal will not move forward now.
Lauderhill’s City Commission held a special meeting to discuss a proposed charter amendment that would make the police chief a charter officer reporting directly to the five elected commissioners, an idea put forward by Commissioner Saray Martin as a way to increase transparency and accountability in public safety.
Martin opened the discussion by reading a prepared statement and saying the proposal was meant to provoke a public conversation, not to impose a predetermined outcome. “This is not about the commission taking over the police department or inserting ourselves into the day to day operations,” Martin said, adding the goal was “a more transparent, data driven approach to public safety” with clear performance indicators and corrective actions when targets are missed.
City Manager Kenny Hobbs described steps his office has already taken, including hiring a consultant, conducting public forums and producing a quarterly manager’s report on police…
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