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Protecting Civil Rights: A Leadership Guide for State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement

NCJ Number
215876
Date Published
September 2006
Length
267 pages
Annotation
This guide presents the lessons learned from law enforcement agencies around the country that have taken proactive or reactive steps to protect and promote civil rights throughout their communities.
Abstract
The guide is based on the principle that effective law enforcement and the protection of civil rights are “complementary pillars” for policing in a democratic society. Law enforcement officers and agencies have an ethical and legal duty to abide by and uphold civil rights. Chapter 1 offers an introduction to the processes by which agencies protect and promote civil rights as well as the processes of investigation and monitoring when there is an alleged pattern or practice of civil rights violations within an agency. Chapter 1 also reviews the resources and strategies available to all law enforcement agencies committed to protecting and promoting civil rights. Chapter 2 illustrates how effective community policing programs can serve as a framework from which agencies may protect and promote the civil rights of community members. Recommended strategies include strengthening police-community relations in disadvantaged neighborhoods, improving outreach to minority and immigrant communities, and providing public education of the role of police through citizen academies. Chapter 3 describes the development of an early intervention strategy that can identify and address potential civil rights problems before disciplinary action becomes necessary. Chapter 4 focuses on how to develop and manage an effective complaint process while chapter 5 addresses how to effectively manage use of force by police officers. The most widely used use-of-force options are reviewed followed by a discussion of the importance of establishing a policing culture that is intolerant of the unlawful use of force. Chapter 6 explores the challenges of confronting and addressing racial profiling and chapter 7 identifies strategies to recruit and maintain a diverse workforce reflective of the community it serves. Chapter 8 discusses how to measure and evaluate performance outcomes in relation to civil rights issues, offering advice on data quality, systematic data collection, data analysis, and interpretation. Appendixes