A new citizens' panel in Miami is about to face its first important test -- dealing with complaints of alleged police misconduct during the Free Trade Area of the Americas talks.
Miami voters approved creation of a Civilian Investigative Panel to investigate these kinds of complaints last year.
Dozens of people arrested during the FTAA summit say police violated their civil rights. Now, they can take their complaints to the CIP.
No one has lodged a complaint against Police Chief John Timoney, but CIP chairman Larry Handfield says he expects many to be filed against his officers for the way their aggressive behavior.
During the FTAA summit, the CIP handed out a thousand brochures describing how to file a complaint.
When the CIP meets late Tuesday, the main order of business will be hearing from Chief Timoney. But they also expect to hear complaints from protesters.
Those involved say the number of complaints is sure to grow. The CIP is just now gearing up with staff to handle them.
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