One day after the resignation of Miami Gardens Police Chief Matthew Boyd, the NAACP is saying this is just the first step in curbing racial profiling in the city.
“The Miami Gardens community deserves a police department that is committed to stopping crime and preserving justice,” said Adora Obi Nweze, President of the NAACP Florida State Conference, in an e-mail statement. “This is a good first step toward that goal, but hardly the last step. The systematic allegations of police intimidation did not happen because of just one person; they were the result of a sustained lack of oversight. We hope that the Miami Gardens Police Department will continue to work with the community on a fairer and more just system.”
Boyd stepped down Wednesday while the department is under scrutiny for its "Zero Tolerance Policy," which the NAACP asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate on Tuesday.
The push for an investigation came after a convenience store owner said his employees and customers were being targeted by police for aggressive questioning and petty arrests.
Miami Gardens City Manager Cameron D. Benson said Wednesday that Boyd's sudden retirement was not related to officer's actions at the 207 Quickstop convenience store or the city's recent wave of shootings.
Boyd had planned to retire in January, reported The Miami Herald.
