Opinion: California might have thousands of cops who are unfit to wear a badge. This is why
LA TimesJustin Tackett’s troubling history of warrantless searches, falsified reports and insubordination as a sheriff’s deputy in Imperial County finally prompted the Sheriff’s Department to initiate termination proceedings against him. A California commission with new powers over police licensing recently estimated that it could be on the verge of barring thousands of officers from law enforcement by stripping them of their certification. For decades, California police officers who committed serious crimes or engaged in grave misconduct were allowed to avoid termination by quietly quitting and finding jobs in other departments. Legislation that took effect on Jan. 1 allows the state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to revoke officers’ certification, disqualifying them from law enforcement employment across California. As a result, the newly empowered police standards commission recently estimated that it could decertify or suspend up to 3,500 police officers each year for serious misconduct.
History of this topic
Twenty police officers in California face possible decertification, which would end their careers
LA Times
California enacts law to strip badges from bad officers
Associated Press
California lawmakers push for police misconduct panel, expanded chokehold ban
LA Times
California has some of the toughest laws keeping police discipline private. That seems unlikely to change
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