Residents weigh in on Orlando Police Department during virtual meeting

ORLANDO, Fla. — Residents had a lot to say during a virtual meeting about Orlando police on Monday evening.

An independent consulting firm hosted the meeting as part of a review that could lead to changes at the police department.

Both the city and the department commissioned the review as part of their “community trust and equity” initiative.

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The firm chose to not formally invite OPD personnel to the meeting so people could speak freely.

Many said Orlando police officers could better train its officers on how to interact with the public, specifically, people of color.

The city of Orlando paid nearly $800,000 to the Bowman Group to assess what the police department is doing well and what it needs to do better.

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The Bowman Group team consists of former officers, civil rights attorneys and academics.

They’ve worked with police departments across the country. They’ll detail some findings in an interim report in a few weeks, with a final report over the summer.

Another virtual meeting will take place Wednesday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Click here to watch Wednesday’s meeting.

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Cox Media Group