Yahoo Movies From police traffic stops to qualified immunity for officers, 5 ways to reform policing
In the wake of Derek Chauvin's conviction for the murder of George Floyd, USA TODAY's Editorial Board decided the time was ripe for a series of editorials aimed at building on momentum to make police more accountable, protect the lives of the public and rebuild trust in law enforcement.
Here they are:
End qualified immunity
Created by the Supreme Court in a series of rulings starting in 1967, qualified immunity means if a victim wants to sue police – or any government official – she must find a case from the Supreme Court or in her federal circuit (the United States is divided into 12 circuits) where a court ruled that the exact same situation violated constitutional rights. If she can’t, those rights are not considered clearly established and the courtroom door is barred. The absurdity of qualified immunity is obvious in the hair-splitting distinctions courts make to let police officers off the hook.
End no-knock warrants
No-knock warrants, which allow police to break down doors without knocking or identifying themselves, are especially dangerous to civilians: At least 31 were killed from 2010 through 2016. But they also can be deadly for police, eight of whom were killed during the same period.
End so-called officers' bill of rights
These special rules – some granted by state laws and others by police union contracts – impede investigations in so many ways that it’s almost impossible to fire a police officer for misconduct. Yet because criminal charges against police are so rare, the only way the public usually has to hold police accountable is internal investigations.
End civil asset forfeiture
Forfeiture is meant to battle crime by taking profits from swindlers and drug dealers, and at times it does. But the way it has been used for decades, it too often ensnares law-abiding citizens who are never charged with a crime.
End needless police stops
How about starting with one simple change? What if police stopped pulling over drivers – Black or white – for technical infractions that have nothing to do with safety? Also, young Black men shouldn't have to endure racist traffic stops as a rite of passage.
Policing: This is part of a series by USA TODAY Opinion about police accountability and building safer communities. The project is made possible in part by a grant from Stand Together, which does not provide editorial input.
USA TODAY's editorial opinions are decided by its Editorial Board, separate from the news staff and the USA TODAY Network. Most editorials are coupled with an Opposing View, a unique USA TODAY feature.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After George Floyd murder: 5 ways to reforming policing the USA
