Here’s How to Force Police Accountability in Your City

[ZombieHorde]

By Jay Syrmopoulos on September 18, 2014

~snip~

City officials don’t have the guts to hold officers accountable for their actions. So a new approach is necessary to hold rogue officers responsible for their conduct.

Just like doctors have to carry malpractice insurance, police officers should be required to carry professional liability insurance as a condition of employment.

~snip~

Similarly to how other professionals, such as doctors who are sued too many times become uninsurable, the demands of professional liability insurance will ensure risk reduction takes place. Meaning basically that if city officials won’t hold police accountable for their actions an insurance company on the hook for large police misconduct payouts certainly will.

Problem officers would find their rates up until eventually they would become uninsurable, a wonderful way to have problem officers forced out of policing entirely.

Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/force-police-accountability-city/#StbkAQjPyqKMgjLW.99

[NV Whino]

1. Interesting idea

But, I object to giving insurance companies more money and power. This may be trading one evil for another.

[ZombieHorde]

2. Might be putting two evils against each other.

Hard to tell how things would turn out.

[TampaAnimusVortex]

3. I like it!

Would quickly force out of control police to cut into their own pay. Between this and body camera, I think it would go a long way.

[NCTraveler]

4. Aren't police already insured under the dept? Isn't this just looking to put the budern of cost.....

on the employee. The are not self-employed as most doctors are. I would hate to see precedence set to where county employees have to get their own insurance just to work.

[jwirr]

5. Good idea. If I am not mistaken Social Workers carry insurance like this.

[adigal]

6. I am filing a complaint against a NYC cop today

Last week, I was racing to see my father in the ICU. I made a wrong turn, and tried to find a place to make a legal U-Turn or a left. I saw a left turning lane and was going to turn left, but there was no left, so I had to make a U-turn. I made it and he pulled me over. He made fun of me when I told him I was in the car for 6 hours and looking for Richmond Avenue (on Staten Island) to get to the hospital because I was on Richmond Avenue. I was flustered and had misspoken and he mocked me for it.

He then got angry because I told him to just give me the ticket so I could get to the ICU while my father was alive. He said, "I will, because you have a crappy attitude." I then told him my husband had been a cop and firefighter, and would never have behaved this way with my situation.

He came back to the car with two tickets. He gave me the first, and then said, "Here's another one because of your attitude. You turned on a red arrow." I was furious!!! I yelled, "You are a liar!!! You are lying!!" I had my husband on speaker phone and I said, "Bill, did you hear that?" I swear, if my husband wasn't on speaker, he would have pulled me out of the car and arrested me. And I swear on my kids, it was a green arrow when I turned. I think that is what bothered me the most - he blatantly lied. What a prick.

I am pleading not guilty and today, after school, calling the complaint hotline. If he treats me, a middle aged professional woman, this way, how does he treat the young and those more powerless.

[ZombieHorde]

7. What an asshole.

I'm sorry that happened to you, and I hope your family is healing well.

[adigal]

8. Thank you. Thankfully, my father seems to be getting stronger nt

[madville]

9. Many already have liability insurance

Through their union, FOP, or department. It's usually pretty cheap also since the risk is spread across millions of officers in the pool, premiums are probably around $20 a month if that.

In places with strong police unions it's even tougher to hold cops accountable it seems as well.

[ncjustice80]

10. This is why there shouldnt be police unions.

Every cop should have to pay for liability insurance out of HIS OWN pocket.

[madville]

11. Liability insurance is cheap

If 100,000 cops pay $200 a year each for insurance, that's $20,000,000 a year for that one pool. That's a bunch of lawyer fees and settlements the insurance company can payout every year and still make a good profit.