What Civil Rights Investigations of US Police Departments Can Teach Canadian Police Leaders

Recently, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) in Washington, D.C. published a new report as part of their 'Critical Issues in Policing' series entitled: Civil Rights Investigations of Local Police: Lessons Learned (July 2013):

Civil Rights Investigations of Local Police: Lessons Learned

While Canada does not have a legal instrument such as the 'consent decree' which this publication deals with, it is instructive to consider the work which has gone into this review of more than 25 American law enforcement agencies by the Civil Rights Division of the US Justice Department. Essentially, the 'consent decree' is a powerful federal tool used to leverage substantial change within a law enforcement agency.

Again, absent a federal mechanism for compelling fundamental change on Canada's police organizations, the reasons for invoking the 'consent decree' find parallels in our country. Some of the main issues which have precipitated these investigations are as follows:

• Use of Force;
• Early Intervention Systems;
• Management & Supervision of Officers;
• Biased Policing & Unlawful Stops, Searches, and Arrests;
• Gender Bias in the Handling of Sexual Assaults; and
• Police Interactions with Persons with Mental Illness

Major cities, such as Los Angeles, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cincinnati, and New Orleans have all been subjected to 'consent decrees' and this PERF publication includes commentary and conversation from chiefs of police, DOJ officials and subject matter experts who have worked on these files in the past.

This report is another example of the fine work being done by PERF. It remains a unique source of quality research that involves police executives, as well as, academics and others devoted to policing as a key area of public policy development.