Police Unions Face Scrutiny Over Contracts Shielding Misconduct

June 10, 2020, 10:55 AM UTC

A sweeping police-reform bill sponsored by Democratic lawmakers doesn’t seem to address an issue that Black Lives Matter activists and management attorneys agree is in need of reform: union contracts that shield officers who use lethal force.

Targeting CBAs: The bill doesn’t touch on common measures in police contracts that let cops resolve complaints behind closed doors through arbitration, wait 48 hours after a lethal incident before being questioned, and access information on evidence and witnesses that wouldn’t be available to civilians.

Organizing Effects: Soon after police started organizing in the 1950s, as many as 70 more Americans a year ...

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