Civilian Control of the Police

What we lack in America is civilian control of the police.

If the public loses trust in a police officer, we should be able to fire that person. They shouldn’t be on the streets anymore.

This ability would be much more effective than cameras or police training to change interactions with the police in this country.

The military reveres the principle of civilian control of the military. Many senior military officers do not vote at all, so eager are they to avoid the appearance of partisanship.

By contrast, the police have formed unions which exert significant control over political processes affecting them. They are a unified voting bloc motivated to protect their legal immunity and pensions.

Complaints about police are typically investigated and adjudicated by the police themselves.

In addition federal courts have given the police legal immunity, which is qualified (or limited) immunity only in name.

And of course on the street they are dominant, united, control the evidence, and so on.

As a result, we cannot hold individual police, or police departments, to account - not via politics, not via courts.

Due to police unions’ political clout, I do not think we can begin to exert civilian control over the police.