I posted one time about holding cops personally liable. I think it would end a lot of this bullshit. Needless to say...my idea didn't get much traction, lol.
I agree they should be held liable, but it's not an easy problem to solve for a number of reasons.
First of all, even with clearly established penalties, the bad cops won't change. The good cops will simply avoid doing anything to avoid being penalized.
Secondly, it's can be hard to apply a clean standard to encounters that are, very often unclean.
Thirdly, even if that standard is worked out, you need a new agency to investigate and charge those cops who break the rules - an agency that isn't made of in touchable and incorruptible super-officers.
Lastly, we need people who will put their oath of office above camaraderie and friendship.
But I agree that we need change. We need DAs who will stand up to officers and police unions and investigate and charge officers who violate the rules. We need robust oversight from civilian boards. We need informed citizens who will vote out police chiefs that harbor corruption or don't deal with trouble officers. We need judges who will hold officers accountable for their behavior - inside and outside the Court.
