"under democratic systems of checks and balances, no one should be left to judge him- or herself. The wide-ranging powers and discretion of law enforcement officers and their vital position as gatekeepers of the criminal justice system make it imperative that members of the public have a means of redress if officers abuse their powers and seek protection from scrutiny behind the so-called blue wall of silence. As such, bringing an external, community-based perspective to the problem of law enforcement review will promote positive behavior, ensure greater accountability, and deter malpractice." Source
This is one of the main ideas I have had for a little over a year now and have considered creating a petition and getting signatures to have it placed onto one of the Massachusetts ballot questions. The idea is to create a oversight committee for each County that deals with reviewing complaints of police officers and misconduct, similar to internal review. The problem with IR is similar to that of the Catholic Church, it gets hidden and the offender gets moved to somewhere else. Now with this proposal it will hold police to a tougher standard then a normal citizen. I am unsure as of yet as to how to choose the Committee members, either make it a new elected position or make it a assignable position, and have the members be chosen from various areas within the Counties. Feedback or suggestions for more ideas would be greatly appreciated.
This is one of the main ideas I have had for a little over a year now and have considered creating a petition and getting signatures to have it placed onto one of the Massachusetts ballot questions. The idea is to create a oversight committee for each County that deals with reviewing complaints of police officers and misconduct, similar to internal review. The problem with IR is similar to that of the Catholic Church, it gets hidden and the offender gets moved to somewhere else. Now with this proposal it will hold police to a tougher standard then a normal citizen. I am unsure as of yet as to how to choose the Committee members, either make it a new elected position or make it a assignable position, and have the members be chosen from various areas within the Counties. Feedback or suggestions for more ideas would be greatly appreciated.
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