This study hypothesized that the Detroit Police Department regularly allowed police officers to use excessive force against citizens without punishment or meaningful accountability during the 1987-1989 period.
An examination of complaints filed by citizens revealed that Detroit police officers were routinely used to investigate complaints against fellow police officers. The standard used to judge the merit of a citizen's complaint was that there had to be conclusive proof the complainant was being truthful and the police officer was guilty. Detroit Police Department records showed 1,079 complaints were filed against police officers for the 3-year period under review. Of the 1,079 complaints, nearly 92 percent were ruled unsubstantiated by police department investigators due to insufficient evidence. Disciplinary actions occurred in 91 (8.4 percent) of the 1,079 complaints that received administrative review following an investigation. Specific examples of disciplinary actions taken are provided, and procedures used by the Michigan State Police to deal with police misconduct are noted. It is recommended that the standard used to determine whether an administrative hearing should occur in response to a complaint against the police be changed to probable cause versus conclusive proof.