Description
Accountability in a Police Department and the Community
You are chief of a large urban police department. For years, the
city has maintained an informal practice of settling law suits in which
plaintiffs allege police abuse or excessive force. Even those lawsuits
that seem weak on their merits are routinely settled. The logic for
settlement is simply that it is usually cheaper to settle than taking a
case to trial. The city, which has a population of nearly 3 million
people, paid out $150 million in settlements last year. This cuts deeply
into the city’s budget and consequently the police departments. You are
increasingly concerned that unscrupulous people (and their attorneys)
are aware of the practice and have begun to file even more lawsuits
looking for easy payouts. You are also concerned that morale in the
police department has suffered because of the city’s tendency to settle.
Using Chapter Fourteen of Police Administration as a
guide, discuss what procedures, departments, training, and guidance
would you implement to alleviate this problem in the future for your
department.
Your initial response should be 250-300 words in length. Your
claims should be supported by the text and/or other academic resources.
Explanation & Answer
Review
Review
