NCJ Number
142880
Date Published
1993
Length
137 pages
Annotation
The civil liability of local governments in California for police misconduct was examined with respect to current and likely future trends and recommended strategies for addressing the issue.
Abstract
The analysis used the perspectives of a panel of experts regarding trends and likely events, interviews with legal experts, and a review of the literature. Results revealed increasing lawsuits and damage awards against police agencies. To address this issue, the recommended strategy is to reduce a police agency's exposure to legal liability and to increase the accountability of supervisors through the implementation of a risk management program. A crucial element of the risk management program is training, but risk management is much more comprehensive than just training. All employees will be held accountable, with a special emphasis on the responsibility of supervisors and managers. Figures, tables, notes, list of persons interviewed, and 12 references