There is a social contract between law enforcement and the communities in which they work, requiring transparency and trust. But that can be extremely difficult to achieve. Practical Implications Roughly half of Americans say they have a declining perception of police and other law enforcement agencies primarily because of what they perceive as a lack […]
Search Results for: Police accountability
When can You View Police Body Camera Footage?
More than 1,100 San Diego police officers are now outfitted with body cameras, and the San Diego County District Attorney’s office received more than 100,000 body-camera videos from police across the county since 2016. Body cameras were initially intended to be a transparency tool to reassure the public that their police force follows the rule […]
New GOP Bill Would Make it Virtually Impossible to Sue the Police
Republicans in the House and Senate recently introduced two companion bills they are calling the Back the Blue Act of 2017, to keep up with the Trump Administration’s rhetoric of “law and order.”
New Law May Complicate Release of Charlotte Police Video
In the latest fatal civilian shooting to make national headlines, Charlotte, North Carolina police have shot a man named Keith Scott. Scott, like many victims of police shootings, was a black man whom his family claims was unarmed and not a threat. While protesters have filled the streets in the last few weeks, a new […]
The First ‘Blue Lives Matter’ Law Enacted in the US
As a reaction to the “Black Lives Matter” movement, the state of Louisiana has just enacted a controversial “Blue Lives Matter” law (HB 953), which would make police officers and other ‘public safety’ workers a special protected class under hate-crime law. In other words, it is now a ‘hate crime’ to target police officers. The […]
New Year’s Round Up: The Criminal Law Changes That Will Take Place in 2016
With the New year just starting, a lot of new criminal laws will be effective that may affect you. There have been 807 bills signed into law set to take place in the new year, affecting everything from gun ownership, new regulations on medical marijuana, and health insurance. This blog aims to give you the […]
Update on Body Cameras Worn by SDPD
As I have written before, Police agencies across the country have begun outfitting officers with cameras as an attempt to regain the public’s trust. It has been shown that the San Diego Police Department’s (SDPD) use of body cameras on officers has resulted in fewer complaints from the public. However, while complaints against officers fell […]
Federal Officers’ Use of Deadly Force
We have many federal agencies that are tasked with protecting the public. Outfits, including the DEA, FBI, ATF, and Federal Marshals all share that mandate. In the course of their work, however, they have been responsible for more than 150 fatalities and 80 injuries over a period of just five years. That leads to questions […]
Deputy Under Criminal Investigation as Three Women Accuse Him of Groping
A San Diego sheriff’s deputy is under criminal investigation, as three additional women now have come forward with legal claims alleging that he improperly groped them under his color of authority. Deputy Richard Fischer has been placed on administrative leave while Sheriff Bill Gore and investigators conduct separate internal and criminal probes of the accusations. […]
The Reduced Penalties for Some Crimes Initiative
As mentioned in my previous post, Prop 47 (“the Reduced Penalties for Some Crimes Initiative”), which was approved by California voters via a ballot initiative last November 2014, would reduce the classification of most nonviolent and non-serious property and drug crimes from a felony down to a misdemeanor. Since then, the California Legislature in its […]