Tallahassee elected officials appointed Donna Cotterell to the Citizens Police Review Board (CPRB) during the January 26, 2022 city commission meeting. Cotterell was nominated by Commissioner Jeremy Matlow. Her term will end in December 2025.
The seat became vacant when Adner Marcelin resigned from the Board after he filed to run for office. Marcelin has filed to run in the 2022 election cycle for seat five on the city commission which is currently held by Dianne Williams-Cox.
According to information provided via the CPRB application, Cotterell has a bachelor’s degree in theatre arts from the University of Massachusetts, a master’s degree in administrative studies from Boston University, and another master’s degree in education from Lesley University. She has over 39 years of theater experience and more than ten years of teaching middle school age children.
Currently, Cotterell is the president and founder of Indaba Theatre of Florida and New England, Inc., and she sits on the Executive Board for the Plant Arts Center in Tallahassee.
CPRB members are required to take a two hour equity/diversity training and complete the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) Citizens Academy and are asked to participate in three ride-a-longs with a police officer of at least two hours each.
The CPRB was established by city ordinance on September 23, 2020. The purpose of the CPRB is to foster transparency, enhance communication, and ensure a relationship of trust between the Tallahassee Police Department and the community.
The panel of citizens reviews completed department internal affairs reports, cases, and issues relating to law enforcement that are of importance to the community and the city and to increase and demonstrate police accountability.
The committee includes nine members appointed individually by each city commission member, and four members are selected by the city commission from applicants nominated by community-based civic organizations.
Currently, the panel is comprised of five female members, four male members, six of the members are black, and three of the members are white.
City Commission Appoints Donna Cotterell to Citizens Police Review Board added by Lynsey Kirk on
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To balance out the brainwashing they get from the Citizens Academy and the 6 hours of ride-a-longs, maybe all board members should also be required to sit and dialog with people who have experienced police brutality and abuse of power.
Our cops are great. And, IMO, The Review Board is just another way to dodge dealing with the real reasons we have crime in our community. What would be helpful is an effort to teach people how to be polite when they are questioned by a Police Officer.
Wise and solid choice. Does her homework across a broad spectrum of disciplines.
I love her credentials and education background. I think they should just disband the police board and reassign this board to the Performing Arts board.
Over 39 years of theater experience. The City approved The Sheridan Center. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.
“Currently, the panel is comprised of five female members, four male members, six of the members are black, and three of the members are white.”
WHAT! … NO HOMERTESTICLE, LESBOTARIAN, BIPHORNICATOR, OR TRANSDELUSIONAL?
I’m aghast; shocked I tell ya… oh, the humanity…