The Cost of Police Misconduct

Civilian Led PD
Aug 25, 2017 · 3 min read
Photo Credit: Kate Sheets

It’s no secret that there is a vast cost to police misconduct in the form of human lives lost or ruined. What many people don’t realize is that it comes with a large toll for taxpayers too. From trial costs to lawsuit settlements, the costs add up very quickly. Police misconduct is a problem that needs to be dealt with, especially if reducing government spending is important to you. But just how much do Americans stand to save from implementing police reform?

For starters, settlements and their associated legal fees can cost towns and cities millions of dollars a year. New York City has paid almost a half billion dollars in such fees relating to police misconduct in recent years. Chicago has also been forced to pay over $263 million in just 3 years but because they were required to borrow much of the money, the total cost to their taxpayers will be more than double that after they pay off their bonds. And it’s not just big cities either. Towns and mid-sized cities are also on the hook for police misdeeds. These costs are also continuing to rise.

Further, the path to incarceration begins with overzealous arresting and sentencing practices. Officers who arrest people with fraudulent charges or without due thought to whether the arrest would actually contribute to increasing public safety causes unnecessary incarceration. According to the public policy institute Brennan Center for Justice, simply reducing the 39% of inmates that are behind bars without a suitable public safety reason, society could save billions from the over $1 trillion total that incarceration incurs on the country.

Currently there not enough regard for properly spending taxpayer money when policing. And more importantly there is not enough regard to properly policing the populace in a safe manner. What can be done, then, to prevent so much needless spending? How can we prevent atrocities caused by improper policing? The answer lies in better, more thorough police training, as well as more scrutiny towards who gets to wield the authority that is vulnerable to abuse. The problem with such plans is that, far too often, they are hampered or watered down due to bureaucracy or obstruction by special interest groups.

The solution to those problems, is Civilian Led Policing. Rather than police policy control being in the hands of those who are more susceptible to outside interests, under the CLP model the power to change policies for improved community policing lies ultimately with the community itself. The model includes safeguards and features such as the selection of a Civilian Public Safety Board through a lottery system made up of community members as well as separating the administrative and reporting aspects of policing. The Safety Board allows for prioritization of community needs instead of whatever politicians or high ranking officials stand to gain from special interest groups. And by keeping administrative and reporting tasks separate from the police department, checks and balances are created that increase transparency and accountability. It can help prevent oversight errors, such as officers tampering with their body camera footage.

To take the next step forward towards better and more cost effective policing, Civilian Led Policing needs to be spread throughout the country. But because those in power often refuse to give up their power to communities, the onus lies on these very communities to say enough is enough and fight for the rights of the needlessly incarcerated and their own rights as taxpayers. Reach out to us so that together we can help you begin your efforts to demand a more just and fair law enforcement and justice system from your lawmakers.

By Tahmid, CLP Writing Team Volunteer

Civilian Led Policing

Civilian Led Policing is a 501(c)(4) non-profit bringing longterm, systematic solutions to police reform to cities big and small. Visit our website: http://civilianledpolicing.org

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Civilian Led PD

Written by

An organization working to implement the Civilian Led Policing model. Join the movement! http://civilianledpolicing.org

Civilian Led Policing

Civilian Led Policing is a 501(c)(4) non-profit bringing longterm, systematic solutions to police reform to cities big and small. Visit our website: http://civilianledpolicing.org

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