Don’t let claims of middle-finger flash at Miami-Dade police review panel derail work | Opinion
There was an unfortunate incident at a meeting of Miami-Dade County’s Independent Civilian Panel on Tuesday night as frustrations flared between an activist who came to speak and a member of the panel, established to investigate complaints of police wrongdoing.
Did a panel member flip the bird at the speaker who complained that the panel has taken two years to get off the ground — and has yet to listen to one complaint of police wrongdoing?
Exasperation on both sides of the dais was palpable. We understand. We’ve been watching the panel’s progress — or lack of it — for many months. We know its members are trying to launch, from scratch, a framework for citizens to have their say when they feel the police have abused their authority. That’s important for our community.
”Much of the delay is through no fault of their own,” Cristina Beamud, interim executive director of the panel, told the Editorial Board. She hopes the panel will hear its first case before the end of December. We certainly do, too.
The public doesn’t know much about the squabbles that have bogged things down, over things like who can be on the board, the work needed to hire an executive director and create bylaws. That’s because the panel has kept such a low public profile, to its detriment. No outreach has been conducted in two years. We suspect when the panel actually opens for business, many citizens will say: “Oh yeah, that panel. I’d forgotten all about it.” That’s unfortunate.
The Tuesday incident began when local activist who identified himself as Rafael Antonio Gomez, who has a YouTube channel and Twitter account where he polices the police as a citizen, got up to address the panel.
“I just want to thank you guys for wasting our time and wasting our money,” Gomez said sarcastically, a cell phone camera strapped to his chest.
Then he stopped and pointed the finger at panel member Clemente Vera: ”You just stuck your middle finger at me, sir! You think I didn’t see that? I saw it!”
Gomez continued, listing the panel’s failings and mentioned several incidents involving police and citizens that might need independent scrutiny.
After Gomez finished, Vera responded: “Young man, when you get up there, don’t show your ignorance and don’t insult me. Don’t ever do that again.”
Gomez could not be reached for comment.
Reached by the Editorial Board on Wednesday, Vera said he didn’t raise a middle finger at Gomez. He said Gomez might have misunderstood. “I used my middle finger to rub my eyelid because I suffer from dry eye,” he said. “I do that a lot.”
Then he added, with a chuckle: “He thought I flashed him the finger because he probably thought he deserved it.”
Vera said he’s well aware of Gomez’s criticisms but that Gomez doesn’t understand the process of pulling together this panel.
New Executive Director Ursula Price begins to work remotely on Dec. 5. She will be in Miami by January. That’s progress.
And the panel has had to set up procedures, standards and training for members. ”Remember that we are all volunteers,” Vera said. But, so far, only six of 13 members are fully trained to hears cases.
Tuesday’s dust-up is a sign of frustration, but it’s a shame that the panel’s first real interaction with the public was so contentious.
Let’s hope it’s not a sign of how they will treat citizens with complaints who come to them seeking justice.
