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1. Several law enforcement agencies have been sued for a “pattern or practice” of abusing the rights of citizens. Some of these lawsuits have been resolved with a consent decree in which the department agrees to make a series of reforms to improve its accountability.

Find one such consent decree. Hint: Some of the law enforcement agencies that acquired consent decrees are the Pittsburgh Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, and the Los Angeles Police Department. You can also check the website of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice for the names of other law enforcement agencies.

Study the consent decree you have found and discuss the following:

• What changes must the department make to improve its accountability? Do you think that these changes will improve the department’s accountability? What does this consent decree say about the department before the suit? What would have helped the department to ensure its accountability before the suit?

In your response, please discuss any additional measures that you can think could improve transparency and accountability in law enforcement. In your discussion, make sure to refer to your textbook and include any applicable information on:

• Internal mechanisms of accountability (e.g., supervision of patrol officers, roles of sergeants)
• Internal Affairs
• Early intervention systems (e.g., responding to officers with performance problems)
• Risk management and police legal advisors 
• Accreditation for law enforcement agencies
• External mechanisms of accountability
• Controlling Use of Force and Confronting the Police Officer Subculture
• Citizen Oversight of the Police

2. Over the last couple of years, particularly after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in May 2020, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have introduced legislation addressing some aspect of policing policy, largely focused on accountability and oversight. Please take some time to research and read about the different bill proposals on police accountability and other law enforcement reform plans. Select one of these bills and briefly share with the class what the bill is about and your perspective on the bill. For instance, is this a bill that you would like to see enacted on your state? Why?

This site is a good source of information: https://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/legislative-responses-for-policing.aspx

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