Experience or diversity for Sarasota’s police advisory board? - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

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The pick will be instrumental in shaping the citizen-led Police Advisory Board for years to come

SARASOTA — One candidate led the police oversight board created in the wake of a well-publicized police brutality case in 2009.

Another candidate holds a doctoral degree in veterinary medicine and believes her role on the board that broadly keeps tabs on the Sarasota Police Department will help reduce the burden on the criminal justice system.

Another is a youth minister in Newtown, with deep connections to Sarasota’s historic Black community who is also endorsed by the local Black Lives Matter chapter. In light of the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as the subsequent protests against police brutality, he believes his community connections will help develop trust and harmony between the Black community and law enforcement.

On Monday, city leaders are set to select one of these and two other candidates. The person will be instrumental in shaping the citizen-led Police Advisory Board for years to come.

Citing a lack of diversity of the nearly decade-old advisory board and a recent surge of applications, several city commissioners persuaded the board in June to halt a move to appoint Eileen Normile. Normile, who applied in February, previously served as chair of the five-member volunteer committee that meets quarterly. She is a former journalist, prosecutor and city commissioner. She is also white.

The decision not to appoint Normile narrowly passed with a 3-2 vote, with Mayor Jen Ahearn-Koch and Commissioner Willie Shaw voting in dissent. The candidate will need four commissioners’ votes.

The candidates

Stanley Daughtry is a longtime minister at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. As an associate pastor, he’s provided counseling, food distribution and other services for nearly 30 years. He also runs Better Life Transitional Center, a drug and alcohol recovery center in Sarasota. He’s lived in Newtown for nearly 40 years and has raised children here.

Daughtery applied for the Police Advisory Committee following nationwide protests against police brutality. The majority of the advisory board is made up of white volunteers. Daughtrey is Black and believes it is "important to have diversity in leadership on this panel."

Daughtrey is also endorsed by the Black Lives Matter Alliance Sarasota-Manatee chapter. In a Facebook post in late June, the community-led group urged followers to email their support for Daughtery.

"Stan’s community involvement speaks for itself," the group said on Facebook.

In his application, Daughtry said: "I understand the urgent need to develop trust and harmony between law enforcement and the Black community."

Erin Cantwell

Erin Cantwell holds at Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine in Tuskegee, Alabama.

While Cantwell does not have specific criminal justice experience, she believes she can offer a perspective that few others can. As veterinary medicine has evolved over the years, Cantwell said she has been on the "forefront" of a more compassionate approach to reduce fear, anxiety and stress in pets through education.

Cantwell believes that looking at different ways of policing will help the community and reduce the burden on the criminal justice system.

"When we know better, we can do better," she said.

Eileen Normile

Normile is a former city commissioner and served as chair and member from 2011-14.

In that time she researched and wrote a study of the handling of domestic violence cases in Sarasota. The study's conclusions resulted in immediate changes to the Sarasota Police Department's procedures for handling domestic violence cases and for the reinstatement of the Victim Advocate position within SPD.

In 2014, the IPAP investigated SPD's loss of accreditation and produced a 77-page report that led to the hiring of a full-time accreditation manager. The panel also studied a plan for a come-as-you-are homeless shelter in downtown Sarasota and was responsible for presenting information and official statistics to the city and county commissions that discredited a consultant’s shelter plan.

Normile is a former journalist and prosecutor.

In February, Normile said she wanted to be appointed because Police Chief Bernadette Dipino has indicated that she plans to emphasize some new initiatives in the area of domestic violence. Domestic violence prosecution was her main area of expertise, she said.

"I would like to pick that back up and work with the chief and other board members to improve the system — in addition to the other initiatives the IPAP board has been working on recently," Normile said.

In an email to the Herald-Tribune, Normile said that her priorities have changed in light of recent events, and the board can play a critical role.

"Most of all, I want to see the IPAP be effective and able to take advantage of this window of opportunity to bring real change to policing," she said.

Justin Dewitt and Anthon Tuffle

Justin Dewitt has nearly 20 years of retail and management experience. He’s also the regional sales manager for Innovative Water Care Sarasota, a water treatment solution company.

Dewitt holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational management and has also applied to be chair of the Police Advisory Panel.

"I would like to be of help and provide feedback," Dewitt said in his application.

Anthon Tuffle did not include resume information in his application, nor did he give rationale for why he wanted to join the board.

He said he is "experienced" with civic organizations and involvement.

What the board does

Both citizen-led panels are the result of months of inquiry by citizens and the city after an officer was caught on video kicking a Latino man. Police administrators later offered the man an under-the-table cash settlement, leading to the firing of former Police Chief Peter Abbott.

The Police Advisory Board reviews and makes recommendations to city leaders on major policy aspects of policing within Sarasota. It also develops policies of the police department to maintain public trust.

In the next few years, the panel hopes to focus on officer safety and wellness and trauma-informed policing, which includes domestic violence and sexual assault.

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