Police Accountability

PA
August 6, 2020
From the floor of the House and Senate to social media and public rallies, the debate surrounding House Bill 6004, An Act Concerning Police Accountability was often intense and passionate. Those who opposed this legislation often misrepresented the reforms contained in the bill, even though they played a significant role in crafting it from the very beginning.
 
In light of the misinformation being spread about the legislation, I want to provide the facts:
What H.B. 6004 Does Not Do
-End qualified immunity
  • Only officers found guilty of "willful, wanton, or malicious" behavior will be personally liable if they are found to have committed a constitutional violation.
  • States cannot eliminate it anyway since it is a doctrine established by federal courts.

-Defund police departments
What H.B. 6004 Does Do
-Provides officers with mental health support & improves recruitment

-Bans chokeholds & restricts when deadly force can be used

-Requires officers to intervene & report use of excessive force

-Creates an independent Office of the Inspector General
  • Responsible for conducting investigations of officers and prosecuting cases where the Inspector General determines an officer used unjustifiable force

-Makes it easier to de-certify bad officers

  • Grounds on which certification may be revoked include:
    • Conduct undermining public confidence in law enforcement (such as discriminatory conduct, racial profiling, and falsifying reports) and
    • Excessive force found to be unjustified after an investigation.

For a more complete summary of what this legislation does (including information on body and dashboard cameras, military equipment, and disclosure of public records), please click the link below.
HB 6004: An Act Concerning Police Accountability House Democratic Caucus Bill Summary

This act is not only a crucial and necessary step forward in protecting the constitutional rights of all of our state's residents, but it also bolsters support for the honorable men and women in law enforcement.

Fight fiction with fact.