4 ms·
Using civilian oversight of police as a metaphor, the high-profile civilian killings lately have come from police departments with civilian oversight. Less than
by ttyprintk 4y ago
Using civilian oversight of police as a metaphor, the high-profile civilian killings lately have come from police departments with civilian oversight. Less than 1% have it, which means an even smaller fraction have civilian discipline.
- wpietri 4y agoThe US has a long history of dubious police killings. That some are now high profile seems like a step forward to me. Yes, civilian oversight of police in many places is weak. But to me that's an argument for stronger oversight.
- ttyprintk 4y agoI should have picked a milder example. If in the future, civilian oversight has burgeoned to be powerful-enough that it impedes what law-enforcement feels it’s entitled to, then civilian oversight will have passed traditional American powers. Your metaphor is begging the question, how do we get there from here? America has the institution of juries and grand juries, and in a very small number of police departments, long-term officials with regular contact with the department. I suppose juries and grand juries are the path toward overpowered civilian roles rather than today’s meager civilian oversight boards.