Efforts to oversee police several decades ago resulted in hundreds of complaint review boards that investigate individual complaints. But a new type of oversight is gaining traction – one in which appointed civilians look at whole departments and how they do their jobs.
Independent police auditor Walter Katz of San Jose, California, says a police organization's investigative process is as important as its findings.
PLUS it's Criminal Injustice's one-year anniversary! Celebrate with host David Harris at criminalinjusticepodcast.com.
David follows up on this week's Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch.
Find more at criminalinjusticepodcast.com.
More than 50 years since civilian oversight of police began, many cities have an independent review board. Some of these agencies work, and others don’t, but all of them are unpopular with police. We talk about civilian oversight in the post-Ferguson era.
Elizabeth Pittinger is the executive director of Pittsburgh's Citizen Police Review Board and one of the longest-serving oversight officials in the U.S. She says Pittsburgh's model offers necessary insulation from political interference and public opinion.
Find more at criminalinjusticepodcast.com.
It's customary to replace U.S. Attorneys whenever a new administration takes over in Washington. The case of Preet Bhahara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York who refused a White House order to resign, is unusual at more than one level. David explains why in this bonus episode.
American policing is at a crossroads, with some calling for a return to the law and order policing of the past. But what many police leaders need is a way toward a future with more reliance on research-based practices. We look at one organization that’s been conducting field studies with real cops to improve policing for years: the Police Foundation, on this episode of Criminal Injustice.
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered rulings last week on two cases involving race and jury proceedings. We break down the decisions and get analysis on their implications in this bonus episode.
David assesses President Donald Trump's claim that his predecessor wiretapped him during the campaign. What's the legal procedure to get a wiretap? Can a sitting U.S. President order one? And -- IF it actually happened -- what could we infer from a judge's decision to allow a wiretap at Trump Tower?
More at criminalinjusticepodcast.com.
American cities all have crime and violence in some neighborhoods. People in these communities, and the police who work there, all want less crime and greater safety. So why do police and communities find themselves mistrusting each and unable to work together? How can we break out of this cycle?
Guest David Kennedy talks about the painful path to reconciliation.
Find more at criminalinjusticepodcast.com.