Training: Lessons Learned Recommendations from Civil Rights Litigation
Train officers on the value of community-oriented policing
- Provide skills and techniques to effectively engage with community members
Train officers on permissible exceptions to the rights of the public to record interactions per departmental policy
- Document and report to supervisors, instances where officers order members of the public to stop recording
- Report to supervisors when they believe they were recorded by the public
Train supervisors on:
- Proper report writing
- Reviewing subordinate’s reports on searches and seizures for completeness, accuracy, and quality
- Strategies for identifying biased police practices
- Evaluating complaints of improper searches and seizures
- Recommending and administering proper disciplinary action when necessary
Train all officers at least annually on concepts related to searches and seizures
- Include a review of local, state, and federal laws
- Engage an instructor with significant experience in First and Fourth Amendment issues
The information provided above has come directly from the consent decree language, which can be accessed by clicking on each corresponding city’s consent decree. This information is intended to guide departments on decisions and actions to improve their Constitutional policing practices. Additional resources and information may be needed to implement these recommendations successfully. For assistance in implementing recommendations, contact the Knowledge Lab team.