Recently, I published a commentary in the San Antonio Express-News detailing the ways in which the Biden administration can and should utilize its executive authority to enact reforms across the dozens of federal agencies employing over 130,000 federal law enforcement officers. Such an effort would both meet needed reforms in these agencies and set a path for local and state law enforcement. (You may be able to access the article as well through PressReader.com over here.)
While the article sits behind a paywall, you can find a great piece detailing this commentary at The Abstract from Arnold Ventures. As noted in this summary:
“The op-ed highlights the need to address officer misconduct and excessive use of force, and also to pair any new regulations with robust data collection and national standards for decertification.
“At the top of the agenda, department heads can set clear policies that set a standard for conduct and curtail officer misconduct and excessive use-of-force.”
In addition to officer accountability, federal reforms should also use data to help close racial gaps in stops, arrests, and other policing actions. The Biden administration also can promote noncarcerative solutions at a federal level, enacting best practices and setting an example for the nation’s 18,000 local law enforcement agencies.
“The DOJ, in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, can incentivize performance metrics of departments and individual officers in ways that better match broader community needs, such as incentivizing the use of discretionary powers, diversion from arrests and detention, and advancing public health objectives, such as decreased overdose rates.””
Marc Krupanski 