JSB173 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Police Accountability, Whistleblower, Data Analysis
Document Summary
Police accountability is necessary in society to increase police powers, technologies and resources. It is also a key element to building trust in police and the criminal justice system, while also providing evidence of corruption in police forces. The key findings from police accountability are systemic political corruption, abuses of power, denial of rights, evidence planting, assault to induce confession, mistreatment in custody and prejudicial policing of minor crimes. When talking about police accountability, it means that the following actions and powers are enforced to reduce and prevent the occurrence of the above findings. Internal disciplinary procedures: mechanisms for handling citizen complaints, civil actions and criminal prosecutions, exclusion of improperly obtained evidence in criminal trials, whistle-blowing mechanisms, judicial enquiries, oversights from local/regional assemblies and national parliaments. Differential policing can include discriminatory and targeted policing on the sole basis of race, location, social class, sexuality, gender identity and labour. It can also lead to under-policing, neglect and over-policing.