You might ask, why is the Fort Lauderdale, Florida Citizens Police Review Board forcing the entire Fort Lauderdale Police Department to undergo additional training on how to properly treat transgender people?
Here’s why: In January, police officer James Brinton pulled over a person named Shelby Kendall for reckless driving in a Camaro. Although Kendall’s driver’s license lists Kendall as female, Brinton changed the traffic citation to list Kendall as male. When he asked Kendall why the driver’s license said Kendall was female, Kendall insisted on an identity as a female, according to the police investigation of Kendall’s complaint.
“Well, for the purposes of this citation, you’re a male,” Brinton told Kendall when he issued the traffic citation.
Kendall said last week, “If I’ve done everything I need to do for the state of Florida to recognize me as a female, he doesn’t have a right to purposely mis-gender me. It was inappropriate and kind of bullying and sends a message to the transgender community.”
The board said Brinton should receive a written reprimand for the incident. Board member Marc Dickerson stated, “I think it’s fair. It’s a matter of training and the officers need training.”
Officers could be forced to watch a 13-minute video from the U.S. Department of Justice and then sign a document to guarantee they watched it.
“Couldn’t have asked for more,” said Kendall. “I just think the city is showing they’re willing to help others and make everyone feel welcome.”
