Police Accountability & Reform

Policing & Accountability: From Policy to Practice

Black Americans experience disproportionate stops, searches, use of force, and police killings. Evidence-based reforms can reduce harm while improving public safety and trust.

Key Problems

• Ineffective oversight and weak disciplinary systems
• Overreliance on force and militarized tactics
• Police responding to nonviolent crises (mental health, homelessness)

Key Reforms and Policy Solutions

• Independent oversight: civilian review boards with subpoena power and public dashboards.
• National Use-of-force standards: clear necessity, proportionality, duty to intervene, reporting, and decertification for misconduct
• Training & standards: de-escalation, crisis response, bias mitigation, and decertification for misconduct.
• Unarmed crisis response teams; co-responder models; community-based violence interruption
• Transparency: public databases on stops, force, and complaints
• Data transparency: stop data, force incidents, complaints, and discipline accessible to the public.
• Alternatives to police response: community-led violence interruption and mental-health crisis teams.
• End qualified immunity (state/federal pathways) or create cause-of-action alternatives
• Evidence-based approaches to build trust, reduce harm, and enhance public safety.

“Accountability isn’t anti-police — it’s pro-democracy.”

Tools & resources

• Center for Policing Equity
• Mapping Police Violence
• Bureau of Justice Assistance (toolkits & grants)
• Model use-of-force guidelines (example)

“Accountability is not anti-police; it’s pro-legitimacy.”