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Lack of police accountability is one of the primary drivers of police violence. That officer knew he could slam that child’s head into the ground, even kill him, in broad daylight, & worst case be reassigned. Msg sent. More violence will result from this. nbcnews.to/2XznRZH
Lack of police accountability doesn’t just lead to police brutality. It also incentivizes unconstitutional stops & searches then lies on paperwork & in court to justify them. Police depts do nothing. Court process leading to guilty pleas protects them. Worst case: Cities settle.
To start:
1. Repeal/overhaul laws that make criminal process inherently coercive & drive pleas. Pretrial detention & mandatory minimum sentences.
2. Decriminalize quality of life “crimes,” cops out of schools. Limit interactions. Reinvest in communities.
1. Repeal/overhaul laws that make criminal process inherently coercive & drive pleas. Pretrial detention & mandatory minimum sentences.
2. Decriminalize quality of life “crimes,” cops out of schools. Limit interactions. Reinvest in communities.
May not seem intuitive (☝️). But 1. Would increase opportunities to challenge misconduct in court & in civil rights lawsuits. 2. Would limit opportunities for police/policed interactions & need for accountability in first place.
District Attorneys have big role to play beyond just prosecuting the “worst” police actors. They must stop relying on/prosecuting cases brought by officers w/ known credibility problems or misconduct in their past. Publish names. Send a strong message. Would alter incentives.
Right now officers know they can violate constitutional rights, lie about it, & they’ll never have to answer for it. Prosecutors will charge their arrest. And before they start their next shift, they’ll have their “conviction.” Nearly half street arrests plead on 1st appearance.
Even when there isn’t a plea, even in the nearly nonexistent situation when case makes it to hearing, you’re challenged, you lie, & a judge calls you in it, you won’t be fired & prosecutors will continue to rely on your word. That same judge will also sign warrants sworn by you.
While police depts claim “no quotas,” police are judged on numbers of “successful arrests” (arrest to conviction). There is no incentive to follow the law bc following the law only slows you down. Disobeying the law & lying about it speeds up your numbers. And theres no downside.
Armed officers armed with these dangerous incentives is a recipe for police violence. A lie on paperwork becomes perjury in court. A bad frisk becomes excessive force. The natural progression of lying & violence w/o consequence is the epidemic of police killing black people.
