The purpose of the police department is to “protect and serve”—in other words to make sure all the citizens are safe and sound, and to deal with the bad guys when they come around. The police are the ones wearing the proverbial white hats, right? So why are so many police departments under investigation for wrongdoing?
The fact is, since the beginning of civilization, those trusted to protect (i.e. be the good guys) have not always done so. The vast majority of police officers and their superiors are on the right side of the law, but where there are humans, there is occasionally poor judgment. Videos of police violating civil rights—shocking in the days of Rodney King—are now far less surprising.
According to a recent CBS News investigation, 17 police departments are under investigation, overwhelmingly for civil rights violations. It seems that some law enforcement officers use force first and ask questions later. Here are some of the biggest recent department investigations:
Sanford, FL
You may recall the tragic shooting of Miami-Dade county teen, Trayvon Martin four months ago in Florida by a man who was let go by the Sanford Police Department. After the refusal by the Sanford Police Chief, Bill Lee, to arrest Zimmerman following the fatal shooting, and a huge public outcry including accusations of racism, Lee was fired. Meanwhile the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI launched an investigation of the Sanford Police Department in April to determine whether there was wrongdoing in the handling of the Martin shooting. Though the FBI report was just released, the official conclusion by the Justice Department on whether race played a part in the way the case was handled is still to come.
East Haven, CT
The police department in East Haven, CT, was subject to a Department of Justice investigation after 2009 when a video was shot of East Haven police officers harassing Latino residents. Rev. James Manship was spotted shooting the video by police on the scene, and summarily arrested. When Rev. Manship took the case to the Department of Justice, they investigated, and the two officers from the video, plus two others, were indicted for civil rights abuses toward Latinos in the community, including assault, harassment, and false arrest.
Pasadena, CA
After the March shooting of 19-year-old Pasadena resident Kendrec McDade by police officers responding to a 911 call, McDade’s parents filed a federal civil rights suit against the City of Pasadena and the five officers involved. An autopsy revealed that the unarmed McDade was shot seven times, three of which were fatal. The suit claims he was left to die without medical attention. The Police Chief requested an investigation of two of the officers involved by the LA Sheriff’s Department. Meanwhile, new allegations have come out accusing two other Pasadena police officers of tackling, falsely arresting, and charging a sober man for being drunk in public. Though the charges were eventually dismissed, the victim, who ended up in the ER for injuries inflicted by the officers, is suing the Pasadena police department for damages.
Oakland, CA
Earlier this week a report was issued by independent investigators that harshly criticized the Oakland Police Department for multiple failures in the handling of the Occupy Oakland protests last year. The investigation, called for by the City of Oakland, was in response to the October 25 Occupy protest that became suddenly violent. During the protest, an Iraq War veteran suffered a fractured skull from being fired on by an officer, and protesters were sprayed with tear gas as they tried to help him. The report stated that the Oakland Police Department had prepared inadequately, failed to keep proper records, and employed extremely ineffective crowd strategies, among other problems. The report did not single out any individual officers for misconduct.
Seattle, WA
In December, a major Department of Justice investigation into the Seattle Police Department found them guilty of using “unnecessary and excessive force” and stating that about 20 percent of suspects had their civil rights violated. Investigators blamed the problem on a lack of oversight and training, saying that supervisors regularly fail to hold the officers accountable for using excessive force, and that there is almost no review at all of use of excessive force at higher levels. Investigators also said that a greater review of biased policing is needed, given the majority of excessive force cases targeted people of color.
