TAMPA -- Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren says he's rolling out several initiatives to address issues of racial injustice in the criminal justice system.

Warren plans to create a "Racial Justice Work Group" to study issues of race and prosecution in Hillsborough County, composed of a small group of prosecutors and what he calls "leaders who have shown a commitment to criminal justice issues... and a firm resolve to make positive change." They'll study data, examine cases, and develop policy recommendations. The group will expand upon existing efforts to decriminalize poverty, address bail reform, and expand diversion programs.

Warren also plans to keep that work group informed when his office investigates the use of deadly force by law enforcement and the general public. He also promises a detailed report on each deadly force incident within one week of releasing a decision. The state attorney says that idea came from community groups, who "pointed out the need for our office to reach more people with the information that we were putting out in connection with use of deadly force incidents, involving officers and civilians," Warren said.

Warren also plans to hold quarterly meetings with the public and reach out to groups ranging from the NAACP and ACLU to Metropolitan Ministries, Realtors and the Chamber of Commerce. Warren says participating in community groups and events will be an important part of each prosecutor's performance review and eligibility for promotion.

The state attorney wants to increase efforts to recruit minority prosecutors. He's encouraging those in his office who wish to participate in the National Black Prosecutors Association and working to establish partnerships with HBCU law schools. He admits that there are factors working against bringing promising Black students into prosecutors' offices. "Not enough minority students going into law school, and relatively low pay in a state attorney's office compared to what you can make in the private sector. But we weren't willing to just say, 'we have to try harder,'" without taking steps to close the gap, Warren said.

Finally, Warren plans to work on racial disparities in sentencing. He says his office is already working with outside research universities to identify those issues."We're going to invest... to take that information...and figure out how to get it into the hands of prosecutors, to ensure consistency in sentencing, and guard against unequal sentences for minorities."

We reached out to Warren's opponent in the general election, Mike Perrotti, for his response. He called the recommendations "shockingly similar" to proposals he released in June. "Quite frankly, the need for these and other improvements/changes were evident long before George Floyd‘s death and should have been implemented years ago, particularly by someone who purports to be a devout justice reform politician. I would have brought such things to the table from day one simply because they are the right thing to do for the benefit of the entire community and the office of State Attorney."

LISTEN to an interview with Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren

Photo: Hillsborough State Attorney's Office