Criminal Justice - Current Challenges

Police Reform

  • Redefining the Role of the Police: This involves reconsidering the scope of police responsibilities.
  • Improving Trust and Legitimacy: Aims to enhance the community's trust in the police.
  • Emphasizing Life and Public Safety: Highlights these as core responsibilities for police officers.
  • Prioritizing Equal Treatment and Fairness: Ensures fairness is integrated into police training and practices.
  • Strengthening Community Connections: Focuses on improving police officers’ understanding of, interactions with, and connections to the communities they serve.
  • Establishing Transparency and Accountability: Reinforces policing practices that respect the law and constitutional rights.

Defund the Police

  • Intent to Abolish: Some proponents aim to abolish the police, believing they do more harm than good and are counterproductive to public safety. This can apply to a specific police department or policing in general.
  • Intent to Reduce: Others seek to reduce the size and reach of the police, limiting their resources to decrease perceived harm. This too can be specific or general.
  • Re-allocation of Funds: This involves defunding a portion of the police budget and relieving the police of responsibility for certain social welfare-type calls.
  • Funding Social Services: The re-allocated funds would be directed to social service agencies, which would then handle those specific calls.

Police Accountability

  • Internal Affairs System: Many citizens do not trust the current internal affairs system, believing that police investigators favor police officers and inadequately address issues.
  • Civilian Review Boards: There is a push to direct complaints to civilian review boards to ensure they are outside of the department's influence or control.
  • Union Contracts: Terms of contracts between police unions and cities can be a major impediment to investigating complaints.
    • Complaint processes negotiated by unions may grant police significant protections, such as extended time before they must speak to an investigator after a controversial event.
    • In some cases, officers may be allowed to review the entire investigative file before being interviewed.
  • Confidentiality of Complaint Processes: The confidentiality of complaint processes can prevent the news media and public from knowing how many complaints have been received and validated against an officer.
  • Erasure of Disciplinary Records: Disciplinary records are often erased after a certain amount of time has passed.
  • Lack of National Database: There is a lack of records concerning police officers who are disciplined or lose their jobs due to misconduct. Advocates support a national database to improve background investigations.
  • Duty to Intervene: Imposition of a rule that a police officer must intervene to control an out-of-control police officer.
  • Perception of Unjustified Attack: Many people view the reform movement as an unjustified attack on the police.
  • Opposition from Police Unions: Leaders of police unions have been particularly visible as opponents of reform.
  • Support from Police Chiefs: Many police chiefs welcome many of the reform initiatives.

CODIS and DNA Analysis

  • Combined DNA Index System (CODIS): CODIS blends forensic science and computer technology to link violent crimes.
    • It enables federal, state, and local forensic laboratories to exchange and compare DNA profiles electronically.
    • This helps law enforcement agencies link serial violent crimes to each other and to known offenders.
    • The National DNA Index System of CODIS also aids in identifying missing and unidentified individuals through the National Missing Persons DNA Database.
  • DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid): DNA is the basic component of all chromosomes.
    • DNA analysis is a scientific technique that identifies people through their distinctive gene patterns.
    • All cells in an individual's body, including skin, blood, organs, and semen, contain the same unique DNA.

Fusion Centers

  • Fusion Centers: Centers run by states and large cities that analyze and facilitate the sharing of information to assist law enforcement and homeland security agencies in preventing and responding to crime and terrorism threats.
  • Law Enforcement Intelligence: Information collected and analyzed by law enforcement officials concerning criminal activities and organizations such as gangs, drug traffickers, and organized crime.